Overview
- The Moscow city government, which announced the rule Wednesday, now bars anyone from posting text, photos, or videos of attack damage unless an approved channel publishes it first.
- The order covers residents, media, organizations, emergency services, and government agencies, with Russia’s Defense Ministry and Mayor Sergey Sobyanin’s outlets set as the first sources.
- Individuals face fines of 3,000 to 5,000 rubles, officials up to 50,000 rubles, and legal entities up to 200,000 rubles for violations.
- Officials say the policy targets the spread of “fake news” and it will stay in place until further notice.
- The step builds on controls since 2025 that include mobile internet shutdowns in 60 of 85 regions, a Kremlin “white list” of sites during blackouts, and platform blocks often reached only via VPNs, which curbs independent reporting and open-source checks.