JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

For weeks in the spring of 2026, residents of Moscow experienced major disruption as mobile internet shutdowns which had earlier affected several Russian regions finally reached the capital. While the partial shutdowns were softened in the following weeks, internet users across Russia continued to experience serious difficulties accessing most websites…

Last summer, Russian authorities began throttling YouTube playback speeds, rendering the popular video platform practically unusable. This has pushed many Russians to change their media consumption habits. Meduza analyzes the current and potential consequences of the Kremlin’s ongoing campaign against YouTube.

Alesya Sokolova on how the relatively low popularity of independent media may be influenced not only by censorship but also by the choice of topics and the tone of content. While censorship remains the biggest obstacle, audience fatigue with negativity and a narrow thematic focus may also push even opposition-minded readers away.

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, the Russian regime has targeted journalists on the frontlines with deliberate attacks, leading to numerous deaths and injuries among women reporters. This campaign of terror aims to suppress independent reporting and obscure the realities of the conflict.

This report challenges the claims that there is no civil society to speak of inside the Russian Federation and that most of its activists are now in exile. A significant number of independent and democratically oriented initiatives and organizations continue to operate throughout the country to address societal issues through civic engagement. These should be acknowledged.

FRF Think Tank presents a policy brief addressing the situation of Russian citizens seeking protection in the EU, set against the backdrop of a severely deteriorating human rights situation in Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

A third of the victims of Russia’s “foreign agents” law are independent media, which makes them the primary target of this legislation — and highlights their systematic legal persecution. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has analysed the Ministry of Justice’s blacklists of “foreign agents” and “undesirable organisations” – which are used as tools of censorship – and condemns the stigmatisation of independent media as a fifth column.

The death of Aleksei A. Navalny in a Russian prison has been a blow to an opposition movement in which he was the figurehead. But it has also raised hopes of a united front against President Vladimir V. Putin.

Amid Russia’s suppression, exiled independent journalists turn to NGOs for financial support. Facing challenges in adapting to a new sector, media-NGOs navigate fundraising and accountability.

Amid intensified pressure on Kremlin-critical media in Russia and Belarus, hundreds of journalists seek refuge abroad, fostering free journalism in the face of increased repression.

Despite state censorship, YouTube remains a vital space for diverse voices, acting as an alternative information source. The platform’s popularity poses challenges for potential state restrictions.

Putin’s Russia: An espionocracy, shaped by spy tactics, addresses challenges like the growing exile community. Insights into Europe’s Edge by Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan.

This podcast focuses on a discussion about the Kremlin’s Ukraine war, delving into moral and practical implications while exploring the evolving media landscape for Russian opposition journalists.

Six month after the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, the report explores the structure of anti-war propaganda in the Russian-speaking community, its successes and limitations.

We talk in detail about how the war and repressions transformed the Russian media: why independent media outlets didn’t lose their audience despite blocking; the salary hikes that the authorities had to offer their spin doctors; and how censorship works in the private media.