BBC, CNN and others are suspending operations or halting their broadcast in Russia after Putin pushes 'fake news' law

• Several major news organizations, including BBC and Bloomberg, have suspended operations in Russia.
• The move comes after Putin introduced a censorship law that severely cracks down on press freedom.

Major news organizations on Friday announced that they're suspending their operations or halting their broadcast in Russia as President Vladimir Putin cracks down on the free press and his troops advance their assault on Ukraine.

The move came the same day Putin introduced a censorship law that restricts the ability of the press to disseminate information to the public. Under the law, according to The New York Times, journalists who characterize Russia's invasion into Ukraine as a "war" could receive a prison sentence.

Under Putin's new law, which could go into effect as early as Saturday, anyone who spreads what the Russian government considers to be "fake" news about the country's military operations could face up to 15 years in jail, according to The Committee to Protect Journalists.

"The change to the criminal code, which seems designed to turn any independent reporter into a criminal purely by association, makes it impossible to continue any semblance of normal journalism inside the country," Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait told staff, The Times reported.

Other outlets followed suit.

"It's with a heavy heart that we have had to suspend @BBCNews operations in Russia until we assess impact of new laws which outlaw independent journalism," Jonathan Munro, the interim director of BBC News, said on Twitter. "Thoughts with colleagues in Moscow whose voices cannot be silenced for long."

Munro said some BBC journalists will remain in Russia, but their reporting will not be used for the time being. Access to BBC was restricted in Russia on Friday.

A spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement, without evidence, that the BBC is playing "a determined role in undermining the Russian stability and security."

CNN and ABC News have also stopped broadcasting from Russia, The Times reported.

And The Washington Post said it would remove bylines from specific coverage to protect its staff from potential consequences.

"We are continuing to seek clarity about whether Russia's new restrictions will apply to international news organizations. For now, to help protect our Moscow-based journalists, we will exercise caution by removing bylines and datelines from certain stories," The Post said in a statement. "We want to be sure that our Moscow-based correspondents are not held responsible for material that is produced from beyond Russia."