The announcement

Russia's independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta has said it is shutting down in Moscow, blaming what it describes as a relentless, coordinated campaign by the authorities that left it without an office, funding or the ability to continue operating.

In a statement reported on 30 October, the paper said: “On November 9th, we will turn off the lights in the home where we have lived for 30 years, shut down our servers, and leave. The newspaper no longer exists.” It said the Russian authorities and security services had forced its editorial team to cease operations. Those are the paper's own characterisations, not independently verified findings about individual officials.

How pressure built

Novaya Gazeta, founded more than three decades ago, has been highly critical of the Russian authorities. Six of its journalists, including investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya, have been murdered in varying circumstances over the years, according to Reuters reporting of the shutdown.

Pressure intensified after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when sweeping censorship rules introduced long jail terms for discrediting the army or spreading what the authorities deem fake news. The paper was blocked in March 2022 and halted publication temporarily. In September 2026, courts added it to the foreign-agents list; its co-founder Dmitry Muratov, a 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was already designated.

What continues, and what does not

Editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov said the paper had been evicted from its home and its donations platform shut down, leaving it stripped of resources. Le Monde, which published Sokolov's letter, reports that more than 30 journalists from various outlets are currently in prison in Russia.

The shutdown applies to the Moscow paper. Novaya Gazeta Europe, founded by exiled journalists as an autonomous outlet, will continue to exist, so the closure does not end all reporting under the Novaya Gazeta name.

Sources: Reuters (via 985 The River)