Kremlin Slams RT DE Ban in Germany as 'Infringement' on Freedom of Speech

Earlier, German media regulator MABB officially banned broadcasts by RT DE in Germany, claiming that the broadcast organisers did not have the necessary permission.

Kremlin is concerned about the situation with RT DE in Germany and sees it as an infringement on freedom of speech, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"The situation is absolutely obvious. The Russian media, rather the international media, are banned from broadcasting in Germany," Peskov said.

"We can only regret in this regard," he added.

Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia will announce retaliatory measures against German media on Thursday.

On Wednesday, German media regulator MABB banned broadcasts by RT DE in Germany, claiming that the broadcast organizers did not have the necessary permission. RT DE operation in Germany has been terminated across all platforms, including Internet, mobile applications or smart TV applications, and satellites.

The launch of RT DE has been surrounded by controversy in the European Union. In August, RT DE was refused a broadcasting license in Luxembourg after reportedly receiving some data from the German authorities. In September, YouTube removed two RT DE channels without the right of recovery for alleged "violations of community rules."