The Ukrainian hacker group CyberBerkut has leaked emails and documents said to be from the country's Ministry of Information Policy, which reveal an organized effort to prevent suspected journalists from entering Ukraine.
The "risk indicators" for a suspected journalist in the released documents include cameras, memory sticks and the word "Presse" written on objects. The documents also show an accreditation ban for not only Russian media, but also the US government's Voice of America and the BBC's Russian Service, as well as Euronews-Russia. The emails include photographs from a trip the ministry's employees made to the Donbass conflict zone.
"This list is not for the media. Printing it is prohibited," the email with a list of banned media states.
The list of media banned in Ukraine from accreditation includes 115 television and radio stations, news agencies, newspapers and news sites, including Radio Sputnik. The SBU previously said that it made the 115 media outlet list in February although it has never been officially released.