Russia Blocks 81 European Media Outlets, 2 from Czechia

The list of banned outlets includes France’s AFP, German outlets Der Spiegel and FAZ, and Italian public broadcaster Rai.

The Kremlin has blocked access inside Russia to 81 European news outlets in retaliation to the EU’s ban against four state-funded media, the country’s Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday.

The list includes France’s AFP news service, German outlets Der Spiegel and FAZ, and Italian public broadcaster Rai, among others.

In Czechia, Česká televize and Seznam Zpravy.

In late May, the EU banned what it said were four Kremlin-linked propaganda networks, including Voice of Europe, RIA news agency, and Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspapers.

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has banned multiple independent foreign and domestic outlets, accusing them of spreading “propaganda” and “extremist” views.

“If restrictions on Russian media are lifted, the Russian side will also reconsider its decision in relation to the mentioned media operators,” the statement said.

Russia denounced the EU sanctions as “politically motivated” and said the bloc’s decisions were “forcing Moscow to take mirror and proportionate countermeasures”.

Russia has already blocked access to much of the Western media since sending troops to Ukraine, as well as to Western social media giants.

Domestic media that are critical of President Vladimir Putin’s rule or his Ukraine offensive have also been banned, harassed, and outlawed, and many independent media outlets and journalists have fled into exile.

Would you like us to write about your business? Find out more