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In 2024, Russian authorities blocked 417,000 websites, the Russian independent news outlet Verstka reported.Verstka analyzed data from the internet freedom NGO Roskomsvoboda.523,000 websites were blocked the year before in 2023, but access was later restored to approximately 106,000 of those.The Federal Tax Service led the crackdown with 142,400 bans, followed by Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communications regulator, with over 132,000. An unnamed government agency, believed to be linked to the Prosecutor General’s Office, was responsible for 62,100 restrictions.85.5% of these bans were imposed extrajudicially, with various agencies censoring content on topics like LGBTQ+ issues, military criticism, gambling, and piracy.Since March 2024, VPN services have also increasingly become a target, with Roskomnadzor increasing efforts to block them and suppress information on bypassing restrictions.Russian authorities ramped up their crackdown on political opposition following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Voicing discontent with Russia’s war or Russian authorities can lead to heavy penalties.Russia has used claims of “extremism” to crack down on a wide range of organizations, news outlets, and social media platforms.Russian army recruitment centers in Moscow see five-fold drop in applicants, media reportsRussia is currently suffering around 1500-1750 casualties daily on the battlefield.
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