On 14 November 2025, the Russian Ministry of Justice designated journalist Elena Kostiuchenko as a “foreign agent”.
Authorities claimed that the Kostiuchenko opposed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, “spread false information about Russian authorities, propagated LGBT relationships and participated in disseminating content from foreign agents as well as undesirable organizations”.
Kostiuchenko is known as journalist who previously worked for independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta. Following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she left Russia and published for various media, including for exiled outlet Meduza.
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 barred from receiving state financing, teaching at state universities, working with minors and providing expertise on environmental issues, among multiple other restrictions.