Russia Designates The Moscow Times as 'Foreign Agent'

The move is part of an ongoing crackdown on media and opposition, increasing scrutiny and self-disclosure requirements for the newspaper.

The Moscow Times, an English and Russian-language online newspaper, has been designated a 'foreign agent' by Russia's justice ministry, subjecting it to increased financial scrutiny and self-disclosure requirements.
The 'foreign agent' designation is seen as a tool used by the Russian government to undermine the credibility of media outlets and individuals critical of the Kremlin.
The Moscow Times relocated its newsroom from Moscow to The Netherlands in 2022 following new media regulations after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Its website was subsequently blocked in Russia.
The 'foreign agent' status has been used to target independent journalists, activists, and NGOs in recent years, including Nobel Prize-winning editor Dmitry Muratov whose publication, Novaya Gazeta, was shut down.
The Moscow Times is popular among Russian expatriates, foreigners in Russia, and those critical of the Russian government. It began as a daily print paper in 1992, later becoming online-only in 2017.