Moscow bans scores of British journalists from entering Russia

In total, 29 journalists have been banned

The sanctions relate to coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (AP)

Scores of British journalists and defence figures – including The Independent’s managing director and former editor Christian Broughton – have been banned from entering Russia, Moscow’s foreign ministry said in a surprise statement on Tuesday.

A total of 29 journalists have been banned, with the list also including the BBC’s Clive Myrie and Orla Guerin, Sky News’ Stuart Ramsey and Sophy Ridge and Cathy Newman of Channel 4 – who is also a columnist for The Independent. Others on the list are senior figures from The Times and the Daily Mail.

Moscow said the move was in response to western sanctions following the ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the “spreading of false information about Russia”.

“The British journalists included in the list are involved in the deliberate dissemination of false and one-sided information about Russia and events in Ukraine and Donbas,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

“With their biased assessments, they also contribute to fuelling Russophobia in British society.”

The foreign ministry also issued entry bans to 20 figures it said were associated with the British defence industry and, Moscow said, were therefore responsible for supplying Western arms to Ukraine “which are used by local punishers and Nazi formations to kill civilians and destroy civilian infrastructure”, said the ministry.

They included Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral, Benjamin Key, junior defence minister Jeremy Quin, and senior figures at the defence and aerospace firms BAE Systems and Thales UK.

“It’s sad, but not entirely surprising,” said Mark Galeotti, an expert on Russia who was among those banned.