On 30 June 2023, the Russian Ministry of Justice designated online media outlets Bumaga and Sota.vision as “foreign agents”, citing a number of reasons, including their coverage of the war in Ukraine, claiming it contained “false information”. In the same decision, the Ministry designated journalist Alexey Gorpinchenko as a “foreign agent” for the same reasons. According to Russian legislation, any news on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine not first published by the Russian Ministry of Defence is considered as “false information”.
Initially adopted in 2012, Russia’s law on foreign agents has been revised several times over the past decade to include an ever-wider range of potential targets for state-sponsored discrimination. Currently, any organization, media or private individual can be designated as such simply by being declared to be “under foreign influence” by the Russian Ministry of Justice or because of receiving funds of any amount from abroad (or from an entity itself receiving foreign funds). “Foreign agents” are also barred from receiving state financing, teaching at state universities, working with minors and providing expertise on environmental issues, among other restrictions.