Banned Russian media sites remain accessible across EU, says report.

EU blocks Russian media but access still widespread across the bloc

After the EU banned Kremlin‑controlled outlets such as RT and Sputnik in February 2022, a majority of European member states can still reach these sites in the “overwhelming majority” of cases, experts said on Tuesday.

Background of sanctions

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU authorities prohibited state‑owned media from broadcasting inside the bloc, including online distribution, to counter disinformation.

Report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue

• 26 state‑owned media organisations were examined, with 58 associated domains tested.
• In 76 percent of the assessments, internet service providers (ISPs) failed to block access.
• RT, Sputnik and other Russian state outlets continue to maintain a strong online presence, posing a persistent challenge to Western democracies.

Co‑ordination challenges

The EU member states are responsible for ensuring ISPs apply blocks, but the Institute criticised the European Commission for its “failure” to maintain a definitive list of different domain iterations for each media outlet. 

Without a clear list, ISPs and member states lack the guidance needed for effective and targeted implementation. “If the European Commission listed the domains linked to these entities, it would make it much easier for member states and ISPs to enforce blocks,“ the report’s author, Pablo Maristany de las Casas, said.

Action suggested for the European Commission

• Publish a continuously updated, publicly accessible list of sanctioned domains and include it in sanctions packages.
• Make the list available on its online sanctions dashboard.

A commission spokesperson told AFP: “It is up to the relevant providers to block access to websites of outlets covered by the sanctions, including subdomains or newly created domains.“

Enforcement gaps and “grey zone” tactics

Enforcement needs to be more agile because Russia has sought to circumvent sanctions. Some outlets, for example, use mirror domains that copy the content of a blocked site into a new URL, thereby evading the sanctions rule.

• Slovakia performed the worst in enforcement, with no blocks at all. Its legal mandates expired in 2022 because lawmakers failed to renew them.
• Poland was the second worst.
• France and Germany were the most effective overall.

Most sanctioned domains receive less than 1,000 monthly views in the bloc. Germany, however, hosts a large Russian diaspora, and three RT‑related domains achieved over 100,000 monthly visitors.

Loophole via social media

The report identified a “loophole” involving accounts on X that post links to banned media, primarily targeting French and German speakers. In May, such accounts posted almost 50,000 links to RT‑affiliated sites.

While X blocks official media accounts, these anonymous reposters create a grey zone that appears not to be properly addressed in the EU.