On 28 October 2023, the Russian government’s internet censorship agency Roskomnadzor blocked access to Privet, Ty Inoagent (“Hi, you are a foreign agent” in Russian), a podcast by independent journalists Sonya Groysman and Olga Churakova. The demand to block access to the podcast was sent to streaming services operating in Russia, with Yandex Music deleting the podcast soon after, Russian independent media reported. Privet, Ty Inoagent is a podcast project started in 2021, with Groysman and Churakova currently publishing episodes of its fourth series, which focuses on families of Russian soldiers sent to fight in Ukraine, and on how the war influenced soldiers and their families. In Roskomnadzor’s official notification on the block, which was republished in the Telegram channel of the podcast, the censorship agency claimed that Groysman and Loyko had disseminated “false information” aimed at “destabilizing the social-political situation” in Russia.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, reporting on the war based on sources other than the Russian government is forbidden in Russia. Media outlets which do not comply with new legislation face heavy fines, closure, and internet access blocks. Journalists who violate laws on war-related “fake news” and “discreditation” of the Russian army face fines and prison terms.
UPDATE: On 27 January 2024, Russian independent media reported that Apple Podcasts had demanded from Churakova and Groysman that they delete their podcast from the platform, based on a letter that the platform had received from Roskomnadzor. The two journalists said they would not delete the podcast, which was still available on Apple Podcasts as of February 2.