Information War Escalates: Russia Bans 81 European Media Websites

On June 25, 2024, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it would block the websites of 81 European media websites / outlets from 25 European countries. This move is in retaliation for the European Council’s decision on May 17 to block access within the EU to four websites accused of spreading Russian pro-war propaganda.

The blocked sites include RIA Novosti, Rossiyskaya Gazeta (both state-owned), Izvestiya (state-controlled), and Voice of Europe, which the Czech government accused of being run by a Ukrainian pro-Russian oligarch. Russia’s MFA denounced the EU’s actions as “politically motivated” and stated it was “taking mirror and proportionate countermeasures.”

Russia Blocks Access to 81 European Media Websites / Outlets

• Citing the spread of “false information” about the war in Ukraine (which they refer to as a “special military operation”), Russia’s Foreign Ministry has blocked access to websites of 81 European media Websites /outlets.
• The ban includes prominent publications across Europe, encompassing newspapers, magazines, television channels, radio stations, and news agencies.
• Well-known names like Germany’s Die Zeit and Der Spiegel, Italy’s La Stampa and La Repubblica, France’s Le Monde and Libération, and many more are now inaccessible in Russia.

List of 81 European Media Outlets of EU member states

List of 81 European Media Websites / outlets of EU member states and all-European media operators in respect of which countermeasures are being introduced to restrict broadcasting and access to resources on the Internet from the territory of the Russian Federation

Austria

1. State television and radio company “ORF” (orf.at);

2. Media holding “Osterreich” (oe24.at);

Belgium

3. Magazine “Le Vif” (levif.be);

4. Magazine “Knack” (knack.be);

Bulgaria

5. News information portal “Mediapool” (Mediapool.bg);

6. Newspaper “24 Hours” (24chasa.bg);

Hungary

7. Internet information portal 444.hu;

Germany

8. Magazine “Der Spiegel” (spiegel.de);

9. Newspaper “Die Zeit” (zeit.de);

10. Newspaper “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (faz.net);

Greece

11. JSC “Greek Radio and Television” EPT (ert.gr, ertnews.gr);

12. Media holding “Skai” (skai.gr);

13. TV channel “Mega” (Megatv.com);

14. Newspaper “Proto Thema” (protothema.gr);

Denmark

15. Daily newspaper “Berlingske” (berlingske.dk);

16. Publication “Information” (information.dk);

Ireland

17. National Broadcasting Company “RTE” (rte.ie);

18. The Irish Times newspaper (irishtimes.com);

19. The Irish Independent newspaper (independent.ie);

Spain

20. Newspaper “El Mundo” (elmundo.es);

21. Newspaper “El Pais” (elpais.com);

22. Information agency “EFE” (efe.com);

23. Spanish State Television “Televisión Española” (rtve.es);

Italy

24. National broadcasting channel “LA7” ​​(la7.it);

25. Newspaper “La Stampa” (lastampa.it);

26. Newspaper “La Repubblica” (repubblica.it);

27. TV company “RAI” (rai.it, rainews.it);

Cyprus

28. Newspaper “Politis” (politis.com.cy);

29. Electronic information portal “Cyprus Times” (cyprustimes.com);

30. Cyprus Mail newspaper (cyprus-mail.com);

Latvia

31. TV channel “Latvian Television” and Latvian Radio 4 (lsm.lv);

32. Internet portal apollo.lv;

33. Internet TV channel tvnet.lv;

34. Publication “Diena” (diena.lv);

Lithuania

35. Internet portal “LRT” (lrt.lt);

36. Internet portal “15min.lt” (15min.lt);

37. Internet portal “lrytas.lt” (lrytas.lt);

Malta

38. Central state television channel “Television Malta” TVM (tvmnews.mt);

39. The Times of Malta newspaper (timesofmalta.com);

40. The Malta Independent newspaper (independent.com.mt);

41. Newspaper “Malta Today” (maltatoday.com.mt);

Netherlands

42. TV and radio company “Nos” (nos.nl);

43. Newspaper “Nrc” (nrc.nl);

44. Newspaper “Algemeen Dagblad” (ad.nl);

Poland

45. TV channel “Belsat” (belsat.eu, belsat.pl);

46. ​​Magazine “New Poland” (novayapolsha.eu, novayapolsha.com, novayapolsha.pl);

Portugal

47. TV channel “RTP Internacional” (rtp.pt);

48. Newspaper “Publico” (publico.pt);

49. Newspaper “Expresso” (expresso.pt);

50. Information and analytical project “Observador” (observador.pt);

Romania

51. TV channel “Pro TV International” (stirileprotv.ro, protv.ro);

52. TV channel “Digi24” (digi24.ro);

53. TV channel “B1TV” (b1tv.ro);

Slovakia

54. Newspaper “SME” (sme.sk);

55. Internet publication “Dennik N” (dennikn.sk);

Slovenia

56. Internet publication “Nova24” (Nova24.si, Nova24tv.si);

57. Internet publication “Demokracija” (Demokracija.si, Demokracija.eu);

Finland

58. Newspaper “Ilta-Sanomat” (is.fi);

59. Newspaper “Iltalehti” (iltalehti.fi);

60. Newspaper “Helsingin Sanomat” (hs.fi);

61. TV and radio company “Yleisradio” (yle.fi);

France

62. TV channel “LCI” (tf1info.fr);

63. Newspaper “Le Monde” (lemonde.fr);

64. La Croix newspaper (la-croix.com);

65. Newspaper “Liberation” (liberation.fr);

66. Magazine “Lexpress” (lexpress.fr);

67. Radio company “Radio France” (radiofrance.fr);

68. Information agency “Agence France-Presse” (afp.com, afpforum.com);

69. TV channel “CNews” (cnews.fr);

70. TV company “Arte” (arte.tv);

Czech

71. TV channel “Ceska Televize” (ceskatelevize.cz);

72. Internet portal “Seznam Zpravy” (seznamzpravy.cz);

Sweden

73. SVT Broadcasting Company (svt.se);

74. Radio company Sveriges Radio (sverigesradio.se);

Estonia

75. Information web portal propastop.org;

76. National Broadcasting Corporation “ERR” (err.ee);

77. Media resource “Delfi” (delfi.ee);

Pan-European media

78. Agence Europe (agenceurope.eu);

79. Politico (www.politico.eu, www.politico.com);

80. Satellite package “Svoboda Satellite Package” (rsf.org);

81. Internet publication “Euobserver” (Euobserver.com).