OREANDA-NEWS  Russia, as a response to the persecution of Russian-language media in Moldova, banned the entry of several officials of the republic. This is stated in a message published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

"On November 20, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Moldova to the Russian Federation Lilian Darius was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry," the ministry said. "A strong protest has been made to the Moldovan side in connection with the ongoing politically motivated persecution of Russian-language media in Moldova, expressed, among other things, in blocking access to their Internet sites."

"Lilian Darius has been informed that, as an asymmetric measure, a number of officials of the Republic of Moldova have been banned from entering the Russian Federation," the diplomatic department noted.

Earlier, the Chisinau authorities suspended the licenses of 12 Moldovan TV channels, banned the broadcasting of Russian TV, blocked access to dozens of information portals. As the head of the Information and Security Service of the republic, Alexander Mustyats, explained this decision, these media pose a threat to the information security of the country, are an additional source of instability next to Ukraine, NATO and the EU.