Margarita Simonyan, the Editor-in-chief of Russian state media outlet RT, said on September 8, 2024 that the media outlet’s operations in Western countries will continue despite recent sanctions.

On September 4, the U.S. filed money-laundering charges against two RT employees, alleging they used an American company to produce content aimed at swaying voters during the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The U.S. also targeted Simonyan, labeling her as a key figure in Russian influence efforts.

Simonyan responded by criticizing Western efforts to curb RT’s activities, stating that the network has faced increasing restrictions since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. She vowed that RT would persist in its work, employing creative methods to circumvent restrictions.

A senior U.S. intelligence official alleged RT’s involvement in efforts to support Republican nominee Donald Trump over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. In retaliation, Russia has restricted numerous Western media outlets and platforms. Russia recently barred 81 EU media outlets and proposed further restrictions on U.S. media and social networks like YouTube and Instagram.

Simonyan called for the expulsion of U.S. media and social media from Russia and urged for the development of competitive Russian alternatives. Despite Instagram being banned, it remains accessible through VPNs, while YouTube’s access has slowed significantly.

Alphabet and Meta have yet to comment on the situation.