Novaya Gazeta, Russia's last independent newspaper, has announced its shutdown due to pressure from authorities. The newspaper, which was founded in 1993 with the help of former Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev, had been a staple of independent Russian journalism for over 30 years.
Editor-in-Chief Sergei Sokolov stated that the newspaper would be shutting down for good, citing the constant threat of repression and the loss of its print and online licenses. The outlet had been under pressure for some time, but the situation escalated after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, when its reporting was viewed as seditious.
Security officers recently raided the newspaper's office, and it was subsequently evicted. Sokolov explained that the decision to shut down was made jointly by the staff after weighing all the factors, and that the newspaper's labeling as a "foreign agent" had made its survival unlikely.
The shutdown of Novaya Gazeta has been met with celebration from Russia's nationalist Telegram community, who view the newspaper as having promoted a Western agenda and discredited the Russian army. The community has accused the newspaper of being a tool for information operations and has dismissed its claims of being "killed" by the authorities.
The loss of Novaya Gazeta leaves a significant gap in independent Russian journalism, and its shutdown is seen as a significant blow to press freedom in the country.