Roskomnadzor prohibits russian media from publishing Zelensky interview

Russia’s censorship agency – the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) –– has ordered russian media not to publish the interview Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave several russian journalists, Ukrainian Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko posted on his Telegram channel. 

«Roskomnadzor (they have such a censorship agency in russia) is demanding that russian media not publish the interview with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. This is the first interview Volodymyr Zelensky gave russian media since the star of the war. By the way, not only ‘foreign agents’ – as the kremlin contemptuously calls them – were involved [in the interview]», – Tkachenko wrote.  

The ban applies to those who took the interview and those who intend to publish it. Nevertheless, the interview appeared in russian media. 

«But Roskomnadzor miscalculated. Just like the russian army. We don’t have telegraphs that need to be captured, we don’t even have cavalry. The truth, as it is, spreads in those networks that the russians have no influence over. And they won’t have», – said the minister. 

Tkachenko gave the example of the Ukrainian FreeDOM project which tells the truth about the war in Ukraine in russian 24/7. 

«As for ‘freedom of speech’ and ‘Roskomnadzor’ – these words are antonyms. Freedom of speech in the civilized world will remain in any case, but Roskomnadzor will disappear. Like dew in the sun», – he wrote.   

On March 27, Zelensky gave his first interview to russian media since the start of the war in Ukraine. Ukraine’s president spoke with editor-in-chief of TV Rain Tikhon Dzyadko, former editor-in-chief of TV Rain Mykhail Zygar, editor-in-chief of Meduza Ivan Kolpakov, and Kommersant newspaper journalist Vladimir Solovyov. 

Earlier in March, russia blocked the Echo of Moscow radio station and TV Rain.

They also blocked access to several foreign media and social networks, including Deutsche Welle, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Meduza and BBC. The russian prosecutor general’s office also added Ukrainian Gordon, Korrespondent and Ukrayinska Pravda to its register of banned websites in russia.