Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor wants to prevent the publication of an interview with Zelensky. “Roskomnadzor notifies the Russian media of the need to refrain from publishing the interview,” the Moscow agency said.
Roskomnadzor wants to verify the media involved
Roskomnadzor also announced a review of all media outlets that conducted Zelensky’s interview to determine “the extent of responsibility and response actions”.
Among the Russian journalists who recently spoke to Zelensky via videoconference was a reporter from the well-known Moscow newspaper Kommersant. Meduza and Doschd media, whose pages are already blocked in Russia, were also represented.
Meduza published an interview
The Meduza portal published the approximately one-and-a-half-hour interview on its website, despite the media regulator’s warning, which can still be accessed via VPN or from abroad.
The editor-in-chief of the radio station Echo Moskvy, which has also since been closed, Alexei Venediktov, criticized on Telegram that the Russian media regulator did not even give reasons for its actions. After all, Selensky is Ukraine’s legitimate president – the Kremlin has always confirmed that, wrote Venediktov.
Journalists and activists have complained that critical media has been subjected to increasing repression since Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine began on February 24. A new media law provides for up to 15 years in prison for allegedly false reports about Russia’s armed forces.
Notice also posted on Telegram
The media regulator also posted its latest warning on Telegram. There she exchanged a Z in her Cyrillic name for the Latin letter and now runs the channel under the name RoskomnadZor. OZ is a symbol used by defenders of war and means “Za Pobedu” – “For Victory”.