Russian TV channels blocked
Ukraine has blocked 14 Russian television channels from its cable networks to "stop them spreading war propaganda", an Interior Ministry official said on Tuesday.
Television news has played a vital role in public perception of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where many of the largely Russian-speaking population watch Russian news.
Russian media tend to project the Kremlin view that the ousting of Moscow-backed president Viktor Yanukovych in February was the work of a fascist "junta", and the separatist rebellions are the product of unjust practices and military action by Kiev against Russian speakers.
The Interior Ministry has banned the 14 channels - including news channels Russia Today and Life News - for "broadcasting propaganda of war and violence", ministry official Anton Gerashchenko said.
The banned stations include most of Russian TV news output, and most are either directly run by the Russian state or owned by companies with close links to the Kremlin.
Reuters
(China Daily 08/21/2014 page12)
