Russia's storied independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta will formally cease operations on November 9, its editors said, while Editor-in-Chief Sergei Sokolov accused the country's special services of forcing the editorial team to end its work. The announcement came a day after authorities began evicting remaining staff from the paper's Moscow offices.
In a statement published on YouTube, Editor-in-Chief Sergei Sokolov said: "Novaya Gazeta is ceasing to exist" and "The Russian authorities – the Russian special services – have forced the editorial team to end its work." He said that on November 9 the paper would "turn off the lights in our home, where we have lived for 30 years. We will shut down the servers and leave."
The paper's top editors said in a Telegram post on October 30: “They killed us.” They said that despite being “completely encircled by security services” for nearly five years of war, they had kept working. “Now it is over. We have found ourselves in the 'kill zone',” they said, a reference to the parts of the front line in Ukraine with the highest casualties.
Novaya Gazeta, founded in the early 1990s with partial funding from Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, was a Russian newspaper renowned for investigative journalism. It mostly suspended work in March 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and authorities revoked its media license that same year. In 2024, part of its editorial staff opened a European edition based in Paris with support from Reporters Without Borders. The paper is classed as a “foreign agent” by Russian authorities, a label used to stifle dissent.
Sokolov, a veteran editor, was taken into questioning earlier this month and his home was searched in connection with a criminal case involving his colleague Oleg Roldugin. Roldugin was arrested in April and charged with "unlawful access to computerised information" without details being given. He has pleaded not guilty, according to the state RIA news agency, and is under house arrest extended until November 10, according to Novaya Gazeta.
The paper's reporters included Anna Politkovskaya, shot dead in her Moscow apartment building in 2006, and at least five others who were killed or died under suspicious circumstances, including reporters and contributors killed for fulfilling their professional and civic duties. Its longtime editor Dmitry Muratov shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to safeguard freedom of expression at the newspaper.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- One of Russia's last major independent newsrooms is closing, removing a source of investigative reporting that documented military corruption, human rights abuses and the wars in Chechnya.
- The editor's direct accusation against Russian special services is a significant public statement about state pressure on independent media inside Russia.
- The closure comes alongside continued legal pressure on the paper's staff, including the house arrest of a colleague awaiting trial.
Background
Novaya Gazeta was founded in the early 1990s and built a reputation for serious longform investigative journalism rather than tabloid reporting. It mostly suspended work in March 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and its media license was revoked that year. A Paris-based European edition was opened in 2024 by part of its editorial staff with support from Reporters Without Borders. Its best-known journalist, Anna Politkovskaya, was murdered in 2006, and longtime editor Dmitry Muratov won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021.
What to Watch
- Whether the paper follows through on its stated plan to shut down servers and leave its offices on November 9.
- The extended house arrest of journalist Oleg Roldugin runs until November 10, leaving his legal situation unresolved as the paper closes.
- Whether the Paris-based European edition continues operating after the Moscow newsroom shuts down.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 2 sources: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedNovaya Gazeta will formally cease operations on November 9, according to its editors.RFE/RL: “The paper, which had mostly suspended work in March 2022, after Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine, will formally cease operations on November 9, editors said.”
- SupportedSokolov said Russian special services forced the editorial team to end its work.France 24 Europe: “"The Russian authorities – the Russian special services – have forced the editorial team to end its work".”
- SupportedAuthorities began evicting the remaining staff from Novaya Gazeta’s Moscow editorial offices a day before the shutdown announcement.RFE/RL: “"They killed us," the paper's top editors said in a Telegram post on October 30, a day after authorities began evicting the remaining staff from their Moscow editorial offices.”
- SupportedSokolov said Novaya Gazeta had been killed.France 24 Europe: “"Novaya Gazeta has been killed... On November 9 we will turn off the lights in our home, where we have lived for 30 years. We will shut down the servers and leave," Sokolov said.”
- SupportedSokolov said, “Novaya Gazeta is ceasing to exist,” in a statement published on YouTube.France 24 Europe: “"Novaya Gazeta is ceasing to exist," Editor-in-Chief Sergei Sokolov said in a statement published on YouTube.”
- SupportedSokolov said the paper would turn off the lights in its home on November 9, shut down its servers and leave.France 24 Europe: “"Novaya Gazeta has been killed... On November 9 we will turn off the lights in our home, where we have lived for 30 years. We will shut down the servers and leave," Sokolov said.”
- SupportedThe paper’s top editors wrote “They killed us” in a Telegram post on October 30.RFE/RL: “"They killed us," the paper's top editors said in a Telegram post on October 30”
- SupportedThe editors said they had kept working while “completely encircled by security services” for nearly five years of war, and described being in the “kill zone.”RFE/RL: “"For nearly five years of war, we managed to keep working while being completely encircled by security services," the editors said. "Now it is over. We have found ourselves in the 'kill zone'"”
- SupportedNovaya Gazeta mostly suspended work in March 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and authorities revoked its media license that year.France 24 Europe: “Novaya Gazeta cut down production inside Russia after the offensive began. Authorities revoked its media license the same year.”
- SupportedSome of Novaya Gazeta’s editorial staff opened a Paris-based European edition in 2024 with support from Reporters Without Borders.RFE/RL: “In 2024, some of Novaya Gazeta's editorial staff opened a European edition for the paper -- based in Paris, with support from press advocacy organization Reporters Without Borders.”
- SupportedRoldugin was arrested in April and charged with unlawful access to computerised information; he pleaded not guilty and was under house arrest extended until November 10.France 24 Europe: “Roldugin was detained and charged with "unlawful access to computerised information", without any details being given. He pleaded not guilty, according to the state RIA news agency. Roldugin awaits trial in house arrest that has been extended until November 10, according to Novaya Gazeta.”
- SupportedNovaya Gazeta’s reporters included Anna Politkovskaya, who was killed in her Moscow apartment building in 2006, and at least five others killed or dead under suspicious circumstances.RFE/RL: “Novaya Gazeta, the venerable investigative Russian newspaper whose reporting staff included the slain Anna Politkovskaya and at least five others who were killed or died under suspicious circumstances”