“British intelligence has analyzed how Russia has stepped up efforts to pressure and control the mass media since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine. It is noted that in 2024, Russian courts imposed a significant number of fines on journalists or media readers that the Russian authorities declared “undesirable”.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
British intelligence has analyzed how Russia has stepped up efforts to pressure and control the mass media since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine. It is noted that in 2024, Russian courts imposed a significant number of fines on journalists or media readers that the Russian authorities declared “undesirable”.
Source: review of the British Ministry of Defense on the Russian-Ukrainian war from January 15, “European Truth” reports
Details: In part of their analysis, the British rely on the data of the Russian independent media organization Mediazon.
Most of these fines were reportedly imposed on Meduza, as well as the US-funded Radio Liberty and the exiled Dozhd TV channel.
Most of the fines were imposed on authors, editors or commenters who contributed to the publication.
As intelligence officials note, the fines are almost certainly aimed at deterring independent media from reporting that contradicts or criticizes official Russian narratives about the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
“The fines are designed to deter and intimidate those in Russia who cooperate with independent media and reject government-controlled narratives spread through state-controlled media,” British intelligence said.
The analysis noted that this activity fits into the overall picture of the Russian government’s increased efforts to control the mass media and further limit freedom of speech after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“Russian efforts to restrict independent mass media will most likely continue throughout the conflict (the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine – ed.), which indicates the increased sensitivity of the country’s leadership to the potential of the conflict (the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine – ed.) to affect the stability of the regime,” – British intelligence officers concluded.
What happened before:
- Russia has been arbitrarily detaining and expelling foreign journalists for a long time. This happens when its agents are exposed abroad.
- In particular, in August it was reported that two Italian journalists who angered Moscow with a television report from the Ukrainian-controlled part of Russia’s Kursk region will return to Italy.