Moscow, Russia: Russia has announced that it has blocked access to the web resources of 15 European media outlets, a direct retaliatory measure against the European Union’s recent restrictions on Russian mass media.
In a statement issued on Monday, July 1, 2025, the Russian Foreign Ministry asserted that “Brussels and other EU capitals have been repeatedly warned that their bans and ungrounded sanctions against the Russian mass media, as well as other formats of politically motivated repressions will not remain unanswered by the Russian side.”
The ministry clarified that this decision is a “reciprocal response” to the EU’s 16th sanctions package, which was approved in February and included measures against eight Russian media outlets. Russia accuses the blocked European media outlets of “systematically spreading false information.”
While the specific list of the 15 blocked European media outlets was not immediately released by the Russian Foreign Ministry, this move intensifies the ongoing information war between Russia and the West. The EU’s prior sanctions had targeted Russian state-affiliated media channels, accusing them of spreading propaganda and disinformation related to the war in Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also stated that its decision regarding the European media outlets could be reconsidered “if restrictions on domestic publications and information channels are lifted.”
