Western media outlets exit Russia

The BBC, Bloomberg, CNN and the German public channels ARD and ZDF, and Italian RAI announced the suspension of their presence in Russia after Moscow approved a law that provides for fines and sentences of up to 15 years in prison for those who publish “false news” about the army.

The independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta announced it would remove content about Ukraine as the new law came into effect.

The Efe agency also announced that it is temporarily suspending its informative activity in Russia.

Several news sites were partially inaccessible in Russia, while Twitter was restricted and Facebook blocked.

The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, defended this Saturday the necessary “firmness” of the law, arguing that Russia faces an “information war”.

“In the context of the information war, it was necessary to adopt a law whose firmness was adapted to it, which was done,” said the spokesman, the day after the entry into force of harsh penalties for those who disseminate any information considered false about the Russian army.