Support The Moscow Times!

Paypal Blocks Russian Account Linked to Nemtsov Report on Ukraine

Opposition activist Ilya Yashin speaks to media during presentation of report about Russian military presence in Ukraine in Moscow.

Paypal has blocked a Russian account that was intended to fund large-scale publication of the report opposition leader Boris Netmsov was working on when he was murdered.

The report, which explores in detail Moscow's role in the Ukraine crisis, was released May 12 in limited numbers by Nemtsov's allies.

The U.S.-based payment system "does not offer the option of using its system to receive donations for political parties or political causes in Russia," according to screenshot of a letter from Paypal posted online Thursday by a Russian activist involved in the fundraising, Vsevolod Chagayev.

He called the phrasing "delirious" in a Twitter message.

A payment system operated by Russia's search engine Yandex was still functioning for the project, Chagayev said.

The authors of the report, called "Putin.War," say it provides data and testimony that demonstrate Russia's support for pro-Moscow separatists battling Ukrainian government forces in the country's east.

Based on interviews with the families of Russian soldiers and their representatives, the report said that at least 220 Russian troops were killed in eastern Ukraine in two major episodes of fighting — one last year and one early in 2015.

Nemtsov began working on the report when relatives of dead servicemen approached him after failing to receive military death payments from the government, his allies said.

The dissident leader had wanted to distribute the report widely to combat the Kremlin's "propaganda" about the war, his allies quoted him as saying.

Only 2,000 copies of the report have been published so far, but activists have said they would use crowdfunding to release a bigger print run.


Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more