Russia’s media regulator on Friday blocked the Russian-language website of the independent news outlet The Moscow Times over its coverage of Ukraine, further tightening the screws on independent journalism.
The Moscow Times, whose original English version was launched in 1992 by Dutch entrepreneur Derk Sauer, said its Russian service was shut down over what “authorities call a false report on riot police officers refusing to fight in Ukraine”.
The English-language website of the publication has not been affected.
A database of restricted websites published by the state media watchdog Roskomnadzor showed the site being blocked following an order issued by the prosecutor general’s office on Tuesday.
Russia has restricted access to a growing number of independent media outlets since it launched its military campaign in Ukraine on February 24, also blocking access to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Russian lawmakers have also passed a law introducing up to 15 years in jail for publishing information about the military deemed false by the government.
