MOSCOW, August 27. /TASS/. British special services have "long and tightly" interacted with a number of Russian mass media, which have opposed the law on foreign agents and undesirable organizations, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in her Telegram-channel on Friday.
"Today's open message regarding the plight of 'independent' media in modern Russia was signed by obviously the 'most independent of them.' For instance, Meduza and Dozhd (recognized in Russia as acting in the capacity of foreign agents - TASS), whose names are frequently mentioned on the pages of some very different documents. It is worth recalling that the so-called British files, leaked to the Internet by the group Anonymous early this year, contained evidence of official British agencies' purposeful contacts with these and a number of other ostensibly incorruptible and impartial media," she wrote.
"As follows from these files, British special services have long and tightly worked with the aforesaid Russian mass media that position themselves as independent," Zakharova said.
She remarked that she felt "surprise and confusion" over the fact the "grievances have emerged only when the term foreign agent began to be applied to these mass media." When similar measures abroad had far more harmful effects on other Russian mass media, "today's petitioners snobbishly ignored this or, which is still more, many even rejoiced."
Earlier, about a dozen Russian mass media published statements in protest against the law on foreign agents and undesirable organizations and demanded its cancellation.