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Britain is poisoning Estonia against us, says Kremlin

Marc Bennetts, Moscow
The Times
Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said that the “tentacles” of the British Foreign Office and the British Council had taken hold
Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said that the “tentacles” of the British Foreign Office and the British Council had taken hold
ALAMY
Marc Bennetts, Moscow
The Times

A Kremlin-backed news agency has shelved its operations in Estonia after police warned its journalists to quit or face criminal charges.

Russian diplomats alleged that the move was orchestrated by Britain.

Maria Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, said that the pressure against the Sputnik network was a result of Britain’s promotion of “anti-Russian” policies in Estonia.

Ms Zakharova, 44, linked the warnings to Boris Johnson’s visit to Tallinn, the capital, last month. She said that the “tentacles” of the British Foreign Office and the British Council, which has been barred from Russia since 2018, had “taken hold” of Estonia.

Sputnik’s office in Tallinn employed 35 people, most of them Estonian citizens. Although its website has not been blocked, the agency said it would