In 2024, Russian courts issued a significant number of fines to journalists or readers of media outlets that the Russian authorities declared ”undesirable”, according to Russian independent media organization Mediazona.
As noted by British military analysts from the UK Ministry of Defense, the majority of these fines were reportedly levied against Latvia-based Meduza, with others including US-funded Radio Liberty / RFE outlets, and exiled Dozhd commentators who contributed to publications.
The fines are almost certainly intended to deter independent media outlets from reporting anything that contradicts or criticizes official Russian narratives regarding the the Russo-Ukrainian War. The fines are intended to deter and intimidate those in Russia who engage with independent media and reject government-controlled narratives disseminated via state-controlled media.
This activity fits with a pattern of increased Russian government efforts to control the media and further restrict freedom of speech since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Most independent Russian media has been shuttered or forced abroad, and the Russian government has instituted and enforced increasingly draconian restrictions on citizens’ abilities to access foreign media. Russian efforts to constrain independent media will highly likely continue during the war, reflecting heightened leadership sensitivity to the war’s inherent potential to impact regime stability.
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- UK intel: Ukraine constrains Russian Navy, but Black Sea Fleet maintains strike power
