Moscow Calls Kiev's Sanctions Against Russian Media Outlets Political Censorship

Moscow sees Kiev's decision to expand sanctions against Russian individuals and legal entities as an example of political censorship, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko enacted the National Security and Defense Council's (NSDC) decision to expand the list of Russian individuals and legal entities, against which sanctions were imposed, and to extend the duration of the sanctions. The appendix to the NSDC decision mentions the sanctioned legal entities, including Sputnik news agency. The list also includes IT companies, including Yandex, and such social networks as VK (VKontakte) and Odnoklassniki.

"As a manifestation of censorship based on political motives," Zakharova told the Russian Kommersant FM radio station when asked about Moscow's opinion about the new sanctions.

"The Kiev regime is using all methods of force to influence its citizens: from a ban on music and literature to military aggression against its people," the spokeswoman added.

Zakharova added that against the backdrop of Kiev's measures both the United States and the European Union kept silence.

Kiev has imposed several rounds of anti-Moscow sanctions citing Russia's alleged meddling in the Ukrainian affairs. Russian officials have repeatedly refuted the allegations of both Kiev and its Western partners. Commenting on Tuesday's decision of the Ukrainian authorities, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow regarded Kiev's decision to expand sanctions against Russian individuals and legal entities as another manifestation of an unfriendly and short-sighted policy against Russia.