Coverage of ongoing armed conflicts and hostilities - Moscow's intelligence service is intensifying its suppression of foreign war journalists
The Russian security agency FSB has launched criminal investigations against three foreign journalists, hailing from the West, for unauthorized stays in the Kursk region bordering Ukraine. An Italian TV journalist and an employee from the Italian broadcasting company Rai are accused of illegally entering Russia and filming in Sudzha, a city in the Kursk region, according to the FSB's statement in Moscow.
These journalists are not regular correspondents in Russia. It's alleged that they illegally crossed into Russia together with Ukrainian troops. Additionally, a third foreign journalist, who was seen at the Russian checkpoint in Sudzha, is also set to face legal action, as announced by the FSB.
Prior to this, the Russian Foreign Ministry had called in the Italian ambassador to Moscow, Cecilia Piccioni, to express disapproval over the Rai team's illegal border crossing. They claimed that the team had entered Russian territory in violation of Russian laws, intending to report on the alleged terrorist actions by Ukrainian fighters in the Kursk region. However, the reported story had a different slant: Ukraine viewed the offensive as part of its defensive battle against the nearly two-and-a-half-year-old Russian invasion. Russian officials argued that the crew had committed a crime and breached journalistic ethics.
Coverage of Ukrainian ground operation
Ukrainian forces initiated a surprise assault on the Russian Kursk region on August 6, ousting numerous settlements in the area since then. It's assumed that the Italians, who were operating in the war zone in Ukraine, had crossed into Russian territory. They were responsible for capturing the first independent footage of this unprecedented Ukrainian ground operation.
Rai announced that it would be temporarily withdrawing its employees back to Italy to safeguard their personal security. Furthermore, according to the Italian Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Piccioni mentioned during her discussions in Moscow that the broadcaster and its newsrooms plan to continue their activities independently and autonomously.
The Italian TV journalist and their employer from Radiotelevisione Italiana (Italian broadcasting company) were accused by the Russian FSB of illegally entering Russia and filming in Sudzha, as stated in the FSB's announcement.
Considering the situation, Rai, the Italian broadcasting company, decided to temporarily withdraw its employees back to Italy for their personal safety, according to the Italian Foreign Ministry.
