Russia vowed to retaliate after several of its state-run media channels were blocked on the popular Telegram messaging app within the European Union.
On Sunday, channels associated with RIA Novosti, Rossiya 1, Pervyi Kanal, NTV, Izvestia, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta were inaccessible in multiple EU countries, including France, Belgium, Poland, Greece, the Netherlands, and Italy, according to reports.
Neither Telegram nor EU officials have provided any comments regarding the disruption.
Russian authorities swiftly condemned the move as an act of censorship. Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry, described the block as part of an ongoing effort to cleanse the information space of undesirable sources.
Zakharova denounced the European Union’s constant campaign of repression against Russian media and vowed that Russia would respond in kind to such actions.
She added that the Kremlin reserves the right to take similar measures, condemning the move as another instance of censorship.
Tensions between Russia and the European Union have escalated since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, leading to a crackdown on opposition media in Russia.
The EU had previously banned Russian state media outlets like RIA Novosti, Izvestia, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta, accusing them of spreading propaganda.
