Moscow Restricts Drone Attack Reporting as Economic Data Worsens and Border Governors Are Replaced

(MOSCOW) – The Russian capital’s anti-terrorist commission has decided to restrict the publication of text, photo, and video materials on the aftermath of terrorist attacks, including drone attacks, the Russian government paper reported on Thursday.

The document states that such a measure aims to ensure public safety and prevent the spread of inaccurate information. However, the restrictions will not apply to information published by the Russian Defence Ministry, on the website of the Moscow mayor and Moscow government in official channels, or in Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin’s internet blog.

The new censorship rules come as the Russian dictator appointed two new local governors in regions bordering Ukraine. Alexander Shuvive will govern Belgorod and Yigor Kavalchuk will take charge in Briansk. Belgorod’s new governor is a recipient of the Hero of Russia award for participating in what Moscow calls its special military operation, the war in Ukraine. The new governor of Briansk spent the last two years as prime minister of the Luhansk People’s Republic, in other words, of Ukraine’s Luhansk region that Moscow occupied and claims to have annexed.

A political scientist quoted in the Russian press concluded these appointments are a clear display of the new priorities of personnel policy, where the main role is starting to be played by the factors of participation in the special military operation and work in the new territories. That phrase, new territories, is used by Russia to refer to Ukrainian territory Russia has seized and claims to have annexed.

Meanwhile, Russia’s parliament, the State Duma, has begun considering new rules for the expulsion of foreigners. The Ministry of Internal Affairs plans to make the expulsion of foreigners the only possible punishment for 20 types of offence, including participation in unauthorised rallies, coercing workers to go on strike, abuse of freedom of the media, and petty hooliganism whilst disobeying the police.

On the economic front, new data published on Thursday reveals a worsening financial picture for Russian industry. Vedomosti reports that in 2025, three quarters of large industrial companies in Russia saw their financial situation worsen. This will considerably reduce their possibilities for development and their contributions to the federal budget.

The Russian government paper, citing the latest predictions by Russia’s Ministry for Economic Development, summarises that the rouble will be stronger but inflation will be higher compared to the central bank’s aim of four per cent. Overall, the economy will not be able to afford such growth as before.

Russian consumers are already feeling the strain. Izvestia reports that the price of seafood has jumped between 10 and 40 per cent in a year. Dental services have increased by 20 per cent on average in the last year, with figures for Moscow much higher. In nine months from June 2025 to March 2026, the cost of seeing a dentist in Moscow, whether state or private, jumped by 48 per cent.

In a lighter note from the joke section of Moskovsky Komsomolets, the Russian government has reportedly abandoned plans to replace the country’s old lifts, as part of its plans to improve the health of the nation.