Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the Russian official media watchdog Roskomnadzor issued a statement effectively ordering all media that cover the developments of the invasion (officially termed “special operation of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine”) to use “information and data received only from official Russian sources”. The agency effectively prohibited the distribution of information obtained from any other sources and threatened those reporting or commenting on the invasion with sanctions for “spreading knowingly false information”. These include fines of up to RUB 5 million (US$ 62,600) and blocking of online platforms that post reports or comments.
