Russian authorities banned dozens of foreign media outlets last year, restricting access to their content as a “retaliatory measure” against limitations imposed on Russian media abroad, the country’s chief prosecutor said Wednesday, according to the state agency TASS.
“For the first time, I emphasize, as a reciprocal measure to restrictions on Russian media abroad, a decision was made to ban the operations of 81 foreign media outlets in our country. Access to their informational resources has been restricted,” Igor Krasnov stated as he delivered his annual report to the Federation Council.
Additionally, he reported that in 2024, Russian authorities designated 71 foreign and international organizations as “undesirable,” while three groups labeled as “terrorist” and 172 of their subdivisions were banned.
Russian authorities officially banned foreign media operations for the first time in June 2024. The decision followed the European Union’s move to prohibit the broadcasting of three Russian state-affiliated outlets—RIA Novosti, Izvestia, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta—within its territory. Among the media organizations banned in Russia were Politico, Agence France-Presse, Der Spiegel, Yle, El País, EUobserver, LRT, Delfi, and others.
Independent Russian media were also targeted, with several outlets labeled as “undesirable organizations,” including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and its affiliated projects, as well as TV Rain, Meduza, and Novaya Gazeta Europe.
The mass blocking of media and online platforms in Russia began in 2022 following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. OCCRP has also been designated as an “undesirable organization.”
In 2024, Russia recorded its highest number of blocked websites. According to Interfax, a total of 523,000 websites were restricted. Of these, 106,000 were later unblocked, while 417,000 remain inaccessible.
