DHAKA: Russia has blocked three major opposition news websites as well as the popular blog of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, the latest in a media crackdown that comes amid Moscow’s standoff with the West over Ukraine.

The government’s media watchdog Roskomnadzor said late Thursday that it was adding three popular opposition news websites including Grani.ru and EJ.ru to its banned list, along with Navalny’s Live Journal blog.

The move comes days after the chief editor of one of Russia’s oldest and most popular news websites, Lenta.ru, was summarily dismissed over the coverage of the Ukrainian crisis.

The sacking of the veteran editor triggered an exodus of journalists from the media outlet, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1409 HRS, MAR 14, 2014