Russia Demands Removal of 'Invasion·Assault' Terms for Ukraine, Moves to Control Media

On the 24th (local time), at Lafayette Square in Washington DC, the capital of the United States, a man held a sign reading "Putin=Hitler" during a protest condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Russian media regulatory authorities have begun controlling domestic media. They issued deletion orders for media reports that describe Russia's attack on Ukraine as an "invasion," "assault," or "declaration of war," or that cover civilian deaths in Ukraine.

On the 26th (local time), according to AFP, Roskomnadzor, Russia's Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media, warned in a statement that media outlets failing to comply with this order would be blocked or fined.

Roskomnadzor specifically named TV channels and newspapers, accusing these media of spreading "unreliable and socially disruptive false information" related to the Russian military's bombing of Ukrainian cities and civilian deaths.

It also announced the initiation of an administrative investigation into the dissemination of false information by these media outlets, stating that violations could result in fines of up to 5 million rubles (approximately 72.2 million KRW). Additionally, citing requests from the Prosecutor General's Office, it added that media outlets that do not delete such reports may be blocked.

Roskomnadzor emphasized, "Reliable information can be found in Russia's official public information media."

Meanwhile, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, foreign media reports have emerged that the number of people voicing opposition to the war within Russia is increasing.

On the 24th (local time), police in Moscow, the capital of Russia, are arresting protesters demonstrating against their country's invasion of Ukraine.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

According to the Associated Press on the 26th, anti-war protests have occurred for three consecutive days since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the 24th.

More than 2,500 protest participants were arrested over the previous two days, but protests continued on this day in major cities including the capital Moscow and the second-largest city Saint Petersburg.

According to the Twitter account of OVD-Info, a Russian NGO monitoring political prisoner arrests, at least 492 anti-war protest participants were arrested in 34 cities on this day. About half of those arrested were in Moscow.

Open letters condemning Russia's invasion poured in from various sectors. On this day, over 6,000 healthcare workers signed the letter, along with 3,400 architects and engineers, and 500 teachers. Journalists, local council members, cultural figures, and other professional groups have also issued similar letters.

Anti-war sentiment is also gathering online. An online petition calling for a halt to the attacks on Ukraine reportedly had 780,000 signatures by the evening of this day.

However, Russian authorities are responding more harshly to these anti-war movements. Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, shocked human rights activists within Russia by warning that Russia might revive the death penalty, which has been suspended since 1996.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.