U.S. Embassy Slams Russian Government Over Website Block

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has criticised the Russian government’s media agency, Roskomnadzor, for blocking U.S. government website, share.america.gov.

The U.S. Department of State’s platform, ShareAmerica, allows users to share gripping narratives and visuals that pique interest in crucial issues like democracy, freedom of expression, innovation, entrepreneurship, education, and the function of civil society.

However, the website has now been blocked in Russia.

This comes after the Russian government’s orders of any stories referring to an “invasion” or “assault” on Ukraine be banned in the oppressive country.

Back in February 26, the agency announced that it had opened an investigation into the “dissemination of untrustworthy publicly significant information” against the independent newspapers Novaya gazeta, Ekho Moskvy, InoSMI, Mediazona, New Times, Dozhd, and other media outlets, for their coverage of the Ukrainian conflict.

The media sites were accused of disseminating inaccurate information about Russia’s bombardment of Ukrainian cities and about civilian fatalities in Ukraine. Roskomnadzor has threatened to restrict the outlets if they do not erase such reports.

Roskomnadzor has also initiated an “administrative investigation” into the media outlets, with fines of up to 5 million rubles ($60,000). Only “official Russian information outlets,” according to the agency, could provide media with “reliable information.”

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