Russia blocked the German daily Die Welt newspaper, adding the website to a growing list of banned sites by the regulator, Russian news agencies reported Sunday.
Moscow banned access to users after a request by the prosecutor, according to the reports. AFP journalists were unable to access the website on their smartphones and computers.
Since the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, the German newspaper published content in Russian, as most independent information has been restrained in Moscow.
It also for a short period employed Russian journalist Maria Ovsiannikova, who shot to fame in mid-March by holding up a sign saying "No to war" live on television.
Last February, Russia closed the Moscow bureau of German broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, in response to Berlin’s ban on the German-language channel of Russian state TV network RT.
The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement it will also “terminate the satellite and other broadcasting (output) of Deutsche Welle” on Russian territory.
Accordingly, Deutsche Welle called the decision “absurd” and a “complete overreaction.”
In the same vein, Deutsche Welle’s chief Peter Limbourg said the order was an “absurd reaction of the Russian government.”
“The measures of the Russian authorities are in no way comprehensible, and a complete overreaction,” said Limbourg. “Even if we were to close it eventually, that will not affect our coverage of Russia — rather, we will significantly boost our coverage.”
The decision comes amid increasing tensions between Russia and the West, particularly over fears of a Russian invasion of Europe’s ally Ukraine.
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