The Russian Embassy in the UK noted the pressure of the authorities on Russian journalists

Russian journalists regularly face domestic and professional difficulties due to UK politics. This was reported to Izvestia on July 16 at the Russian Embassy in London.

"In practical terms, there are unspoken restrictions for them to gain access to important media events, as well as establish working contacts. Russian correspondents regularly face everyday difficulties, in particular when registering and maintaining bank accounts. All this objectively hinders the full—fledged conduct of professional activity," the Russian diplomatic mission said.

In addition, from July 1, 2025, Russian state-owned media may be required to additionally declare their activities in British jurisdiction in accordance with the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), according to which Russia, along with Iran, is classified as an "enhanced category" of control, diplomats say.

"Thus, instead of following their own notation about the importance of media freedom, the British establishment is actually demonstrating double standards and an obvious intolerance of alternative points of view. Such a policy is another manifestation of the pronounced anti—Russian course of the British officialdom, devoid of any common sense," the embassy stressed.

Freedom, in a word: discrimination against Russian media has increased in Western Europe

Belgium, France, Germany and Switzerland were included in the anti-rating.

On May 16, Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, handed over to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) a new document with examples of harassment of Russian journalists in European countries. According to the diplomat, the document provides evidence of "systematic suppression of freedom of speech" in more than 15 states.