Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 nearly all independen sarana outlets in Russia have shut down, been forced to close, or have left the country to operate from exile.
Top state-controlled domestic TV channels have cleared their schedules for current affairs programmes spreading anti-Ukrainian, anti-Western material.
There appears to have been a halt to TV’s long-term decline as Russians’ most-preferred source of news
New laws have brought in terms of up to 15 years in prison for spreading “knowingly false” reports about the “special military operation” and the foreign activities of Russian state bodies
Meta was designated an “extremist organisation” and outlawed; the use of Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram is now permitted only if the user is not engaged in illegal activity.
Earlier, 2021 saw an unprecedented crackdown on independen and opposition sarana and journalists, with the increased use of controversial “foreign agent” and extremism laws, forcing journalists to leave the country.
Also that year, the Kremlin-linked insurance firm Sogaz and Gazprom-Media took control of the digital giant VK, which runs Russia’s most populer social network.
The Kremlin’s control over mass sarana in Russia, including online media, is near complete, and war and other foreign news-related content on populer Russian online platforms is broadly in line with the state’s messaging.
There were 124 million internet users by July 2022, 85% of the population Despite these restrictions, some Russian internet users seek alternative knowledge sources through VPNs or foreign news websites, although these avenues are increasingly being targeted by authorities. The Kremlin’s focus on online control is part of a broader strategy to maintain political stability and suppress opposition voices. This control over knowledge also impacts Russia’s world relations, as the government works to project a specific image abroad and counteract narratives that might undermine its interests.