(Moscow) Information portals belonging to the Patriot media group close to the boss of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, Evgeny Prigojine, were blocked on Friday by the Russian telecoms policeman, after an abortive armed rebellion.
Several Russian political and economic news sites, including Ria Fan, all linked to Mr. Prigojine’s group, were inaccessible from Russia, AFP journalists noted.
Their internet addresses appear in the “restricted access” register of Roskomnadzor, a government agency responsible for blocking illegal and extremist content, as well as media and other resources banned by the authorities.
Other outlets linked to the Patriot group, Nevskie Novosti and Ekonomika Segodnia, have announced that they are ceasing operations, according to their respective Telegram channels.
This blockage comes a week after the aborted revolt of Wagner’s fighters initiated by Yevgeny Prigojine, which made President Vladimir Putin’s power shudder.
PHOTO ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
The boss of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigojine
Mr. Prigojine had finally abandoned his rebellion and agreed to go to Belarus thanks to the mediation of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Moscow.
Beyond Wagner, Yevgeny Prigojine was involved in many other activities such as media and catering.
He was until May at the head of the board of directors of the Patriot media group, created in 2019, and then vice-chairman of its board of directors, according to Russian media.