The bloc last month imposed restrictions on RIA Novosti, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta in a bid to crack down on Russian disinformation. However, Russia has now hit back by blocking 81 outlets from 25 European countries.

Announcing the ban, Russia’s Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that “counter-restrictions” had been slapped on “a number of media outlets of EU member states and EU-wide media operators that systematically disseminate false information about the progress of the special military operation” in Ukraine.

Among those falling foul of the Kremlin are Germany’s Der Spiegel and Der Zeit, Poland’s Belsat, Lithuania’s LRT, France’s AFP, Italy’s RAI and Spain’s EFE. Pan-European titles such as Politico and the EUobserver have also been banned.

The retaliatory measures were taken after three Russian outlets were accused in May of fanning Moscow’s propaganda.

“These media outlets are under the permanent direct or indirect control of the leadership of the Russian Federation, and have been essential and instrumental in bringing forward and supporting Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and for the destabilization of its neighboring countries,” said the Council of the EU.

The subsequent ban on these platforms incurred the wrath of the Kremlin, which warned that “unjustified bans on Russian media in the EU will not go unanswered.”

In 2022, the Kremlin-backed RT and Sputnik outlets were banned by the EU shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.