{
  "id": 2416115,
  "title": "Kremlin labels independent news outlet Mediazona 'foreign agent' — for 2nd time",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/kremlin-labels-independent-news-outlet-mediazona-foreign-agent-for",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-21T18:43:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Kyiv Independent",
    "slug": "kyiv-independent",
    "url": "https://kyivindependent.com/russian-government-adds-independent-outlet-mediazona-to-foreign-agents-list-for-2nd-time/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Russia has once again classified independent news outlet Mediazona as a foreign agent, the outlet reported on August 21. ZP LLC, the entity that established Mediazona, was first listed on the country's foreign agents registry in 2021, but it was dissolved in 2024. The Justice Ministry cited Mediazona for spreading misinformation about the ongoing war in Ukraine. Despite this, Mediazona has been collaborating with the BBC Russian service to track and record the deaths of Russian soldiers in Ukraine, which they have documented nearing 240,000 as of April 2026. The outlet also covers other topics, including the surge in violent crimes committed by Russian soldiers both on and off the battlefield. Co-founder and former publisher Pyotr Verzilov expressed that the designation only enhances the impact of Mediazona's crucial reporting, calling it a \"double recognition\" of the significant influence the outlet wields in exposing the Russian state's actions. Mediazona was co-founded by Pussy Riot members Nadia Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina after their release from prison in 2014 for a protest against Putin in a Moscow cathedral. As Russian authorities ramped up their efforts to suppress independent media, the country's foreign agents registry has become a tool for targeting and silencing dissent, especially among journalists, activists, and NGOs critical of Kremlin policies.",
  "summary": "Pyotr Verzilov, a co-founder of the publication, told the Kyiv Independent that the designation only \"adds power to the incredible reporting that the Mediazona team is doing.\"",
  "key_points": [
    "Mediazona labeled as foreign agent by Kremlin for second time",
    "ZP LLC established Mediazona, first listed in 2021, dissolved in 2024",
    "Mediazona documents near 240,000 Russian soldier deaths in Ukraine"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}