Russian Federation troops are forcing journalists in the occupied Black Sea city of Berdyansk to work, in effect, at gunpoint, a regional official said in comments reported on March 9.
Oleksandr Starukh, chairman of the Zaporozhzhia military administration, made the remarks during a local telethon, which national news agencies including censor.net.ua reported widely.
Starukh said RF authorities were seeking out reporters and other media professionals and using threats including of violence, to force Berdyansk journalists to return to their jobs.
Berdyansk has seen almost daily anti-Russia protests since RF forces overran it on the fourth day of the war. Occupying authorities, according to some news reports, shut down the city’s mobile phone networks two days ago in a bid to prevent civilians from organizing protests in the future.
