Russian President Vladimir Putin has blocked Facebook after the social media giant banned Sputnik and Russia Today (RT) in the UK.

On Friday, Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor announced that Facebook would be banned, mentioning “26 instances of discrimination toward Russian media.”

Earlier on Friday, Meta – the parent company of Facebook – announced that Sputnik and RT would be banned from Instagram and Facebook in the UK, three days after the sites were barred across Europe.

The restriction on Russian media came at the request of British Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.

She wrote to Meta, Tiktok and Twitter to request the ban, saying that the Russian leader shouldn’t be allowed to exploit the free media to spread damaging propaganda.

In a letter seen by Sky News, Dorries wrote: “From the moment the Russian President began his invasion, I have been very clear that he must not be allowed to exploit our open and free media to spread damaging propaganda into Britain. This is especially true as regards both RT, whose own Editor-in-Chief has called the network an “information weapon” of the Russian state, and Sputnik.”

“I want to urge you to do everything you can to apply the approach you are taking across the EU to block access both to RT and to Sputnik’s online output on your UK services,” she concluded.

The huge chance means Sputnik and RT’s pages are no longer visible on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook in the EU.

According to Russia news agencies, Roskamnadzor ‘restricted access to Twitter after blocking Facebook.

The restriction came after the request of the Prosecutor General, according to RIA Novosti and RIA news agencies.

Russian lawmakers recently backed legislation that would impose huge fines and jail terms for publishing ‘fake news.’

The lower house said that if fake stories “led to serious consequences, (the legislation) threatens imprisonment of up to 15 years.”

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