ROME

The Italian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it “forcefully condemns” Russia's decision to stop access to websites of European media, including Italy, adding that the “decision doesn't alleviate the effects of a violent, devastating and illegal war.”

“The Ministry forcefully condemns the decision of the Russian Federation to block the access from its soil to the programs and websites of many European media, including Italian (television channels) RAI and La 7 and (newspapers) La Repubblica and La Stampa,” it said in a statement.

“We express regret for the unjustified measure adopted against these Italian media, which have always supplied objective and impartial information about the war in Ukraine,” it added.

In a tit-for-tat move, Russia said earlier it imposed sanctions against 81 European media outlets, limiting access to them from within its territory.

The Russian Foreign Ministry website said in response to bans on Russian state news agency RIA, the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper and multimedia center, Izvestia, that "counter-restrictions are being introduced" on media from specific EU countries and pan-European media operators.

“With the choice to use violence in Ukraine in a destructive manner and to target with their army Ukrainian civilians, cities, electricity infrastructure and other infrastructure essential to the survival of the Ukrainian people, the top officials of the Russian Federation have violated both international law and any principle of legality and civil coexistence,” said the Italian Foreign Ministry.

“All this won't be erased by the prohibitions imposed on media and journalists from Italy and all over the world, who continue to follow with professionalism and independence devastating and inhuman actions,” it said.

Other outlets banned include Der Spiegel, Agence France-Presse, Spain's El Mundo, France's Le Monde, Agence Europe and Politico Europe, the continental branch of the US-based outlet.