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Diplomat vows Moscow will do its best to make Ukraine resume airing Russian TV channels

According to Zakharova, this is a good example of Kiev’s censorship

MOSCOW, January 12. /TASS/. Russia will do everything possible in order to make OSCE and other international organizations exert pressure on Ukraine so that Russia’s Dozhd TV and other Russian TV channels could resume broadcasting in the country, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"There have been reports saying that Ukraine has blocked broadcasts of Russia’s Dozhd TV channel," the diplomat noted. "I have contacted the TV channel in order to verify these reports, they said that it was true."

According to Zakharova, this is a paradoxical example of Kiev’s censorship. "We will definitely do everything possible so that international organizations respond to this step," she added. "We will draw OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic’s attention to this matter."

"We will do everything possible in order to make international organizations not only express their attitude but also exert pressure on Ukraine so that broadcasts of Russia’s Dozhd TV and other Russian TV channels are resumed," Zakharova stressed. "Although, frankly speaking, there is very little hope they will do it."

On Thursday, Ukraine’s National Broadcasting Council decided to stop Russia’s Dozhd TV broadcasts throughout Ukraine and forced providers to replace it with another channel within a month. The channel has been accused of violating Ukrainian legislation regarding the Crimea issue. From July 2014, the broadcasts of Russia’s Channel One, RTR-Planeta, Rossiya-24, NTV-Mir, TVCI, Rossiya-1, NTV, TNT, Petersburg-5, Zvezda, Ren-TV, Life News, RT and RBC have been banned in Ukraine.