Russia has blocked the Telegraph’s website over reports of the invasion of Ukraine.
The newspaper said it was accused of “spreading false information about a special military operation of the Russian armed forces in Ukraine.”
According to the Russian government, Telegraph.co.uk has been blocked by Internet censor Roskomnadzor due to a report published before the invasion on the deployment of mobile crematoria that could crem the bodies of soldiers killed on the battlefield.
UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told the newspaper that the system could be a way for the Kremlin to cover up any future combat losses.
The Telegraph report was published on February 23, the day before Vladimir Putin launched a major attack on Ukraine, which was trying to take the capital Kyiv.
Online data from Roskomnadzor showed that the ban on the Telegraph website was approved in April. It is unclear why the ban was not implemented and announced until June. The issue of combat losses is extremely controversial in Russia, after the military campaign faced failures in Ukraine.
The Telegraph said it was the first British newspaper to block its website in Russia for covering the war. The BBC’s website and a number of other international media outlets have also been blocked in Russia for covering the war.
The company said: “The Telegraph is proud of its report on the invasion of Ukraine and deplores Russia’s attempts to restrict press freedom.”
Last week, Russia banned 29 members of the British media, including five Guardian journalists, from entering the country. A number of Telegraph employees, including Chris Evans, the editor, were also banned from Russia.
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Russia has banned most local independent media outlets for criticizing the war. Independent television Rain stopped in March after it was blocked, while Novaya Gazeta ceased operations after warnings from the government about the coverage of the war.
Echo of Moscow, a popular radio station that was part of the media empire of the state-owned energy corporation Gazprom, was also close in March to broadcast reports and opinions critical of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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