Russia’s Novaya Gazeta newspaper suspends activity after warning

The investigative paper said it was suspending its activities until the end of Russia’s ‘special operation’ in Ukraine

Russia’s Novaya Gazeta newspaper, whose editor Dmitry Muratov was a co-winner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, has said it was suspending its online and print activities until the end of Russia’s “special operation” in Ukraine.

Qazet.az reports that the investigative paper, which has already removed material from its website on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to comply with a new media law, said it had received another warning from state communications regulator Roskomnadzor on Monday about its reporting, prompting it to pause operations.

“We are suspending the publication of the newspaper on our website, social media networks, and in print until the end of the ‘special operation on Ukraine’s territory’,” the paper wrote on its website.

In a separate message to readers, Muratov and his reporters said the decision to halt their activities had been difficult but necessary.

“There is no other choice,” the note said. “For us, and I know, for you, it’s an awful and difficult decision.”

In comments published by Russian news agencies, Roskomnadzor said it had issued Novaya Gazeta a second warning for failing to properly identify an organisation deemed a “foreign agent” by the authorities in its publications.

Pressure against liberal Russia media outlets has mounted since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine last month, with most mainstream media and state-controlled organisations sticking closely to the language used by the Kremlin to describe the conflict.