Russian News Outlet That Defied Kremlin Will Shut Down: ‘They Killed Us’
Novaya Gazeta, Russia\'s prominent independent newspaper, announced it is shutting down operations after more than 30 years due to relentless pressure from authorities. The editorial staff stated that the publication was killed by state pressure. The closure follows years of repression targeting the newsroom, which was once edited by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov. The staff declared that the shutdown reflects the broader crushing of the country and society under state control.
Listen to Live Briefing
Real-time synthesized voice briefing · Live Feeds Desk
- ✓ Novaya Gazeta announced it was shutting down on Friday.
- ✓ The editorial staff stated that they were killed by state pressure.
- ✓ Novaya Gazeta was once edited by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov.
- ✓ Russian authorities designated Novaya Gazeta as a foreign agent in September 2026.
What changed
Novaya Gazeta officially announced on Friday that it is ceasing operations and shutting down entirely.
Live updates
-
Novaya Gazeta, Russia\'s Last Independent Newspaper, Announces Shutdown
Novaya Gazeta, Russia\'s prominent independent newspaper, announced it is shutting down operations after more than 30 years due to relentless pressure from authorities. The editorial staff stated that the publication was killed by state pressure. The closure follows years of repression targeting the newsroom, which was once edited by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov. The staff declared that the shutdown reflects the broader crushing of the country and society under state control.
Why it matters
The newspaper served as one of the few remaining outlets openly critical of Russia\'s war in Ukraine. Over decades of operation, several journalists from the publication, including Anna Politkovskaya, were killed or died under suspicious circumstances. The closure marks the near-total erasure of independent domestic journalism inside Russia.
What is confirmed
- Novaya Gazeta announced it was shutting down on Friday.
- The editorial staff stated that they were killed by state pressure.
- Novaya Gazeta was once edited by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov.
- Russian authorities designated Novaya Gazeta as a foreign agent in September 2026.
- The newspaper\'s staff was evicted from its office in Potapovsky Lane in central Moscow.
Still unconfirmed
- The newspaper\'s Moscow office and servers will go offline on 9 November.
What to watch next
- Whether remaining staff will launch new exile-based projects or digital archive efforts
- Any further enforcement actions or property seizures against former newsroom locations
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (16)
- www.onenewspage.com — RAF Fairford national security charges
- The Economist — The Kremlin is shutting down Russia’s last free newspaper
- The New York Times — Novaya Gazeta, Fiercely Independent Russian News Outlet, Says It Will Shut Down
- CBS News — Novaya Gazeta, Russia's last independent newspaper, "no longer exists," as Putin erases the free press
- www.cnn.com — Novaya Gazeta, Russian independent newspaper, forced to shut ...
- CNN — ‘They killed us’: Russia’s last independent newspaper falls silent amid pressure from Kremlin
- Новая газета Европа — ‘They killed us’: Novaya Gazeta announces closure after more than 30 years
- kyivindependent.com — 'They killed us' – Pressure from Russian authorities forces ...
- meduza.io — ‘They killed us’: Russian independent newspaper ... - Meduza
- www.euronews.com — Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta to shut down
- www.rferl.org — 'They Killed Us': Muckraking Russian Newspaper Novaya Gazeta ...
- charter97.org — "They Killed Us": "Novaya Gazeta" Announces Its Closure
Community Sentiment: How do you assess this situation?
Voice your perspective · Real-time aggregated sentiment from the Live Feeds community