[Free Beacon] Russian state-owned media companies were declared in a new government list to be of "essential significance" to Moscow’s national security and defense.
The list, published to Russia’s legal information site on Wednesday, places Kremlin-run outlets on equal footing to the nation’s security services "in protecting the rights and lawful interests of Russian citizens, as well as defense potential and security of the state," the Moscow Times reported.
Kremlin propaganda news agency Rossiya Segodnya is among the 64 state-run companies on the list. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched Rossiya Segodnya in December 2013 to promote Moscow’s image abroad.
The head of the media company, Dmitry Kiselyov, has threatened to turn the U.S. into "radioactive ash" and called on Russian troops to shoot down American bombers that target the Syrian regime.
The list, first approved by Russia on Dec. 31, also names VGTRK, which runs a number of state channels, the Federal Guard Service, and the Federal Security Service as vital operators in keeping Moscow safe.
US Kremlin surrogates MSNBC, CNN, ABC, and CBS not mentioned in this article. |