What is Meduza?: Meduza is Russia's most prominent independent news outlet, operating from Riga, Latvia after being forced out of Russia in 2014. It publishes in Russian and English, targeting Russian-speaking audiences inside Russia (who access it via VPN despite government blocks) and the international community.Source: https://lowdown.today/entities/meduza
Is Meduza blocked in Russia?: Yes. Meduza's site is blocked in Russia and it has been designated an 'undesirable organisation' and 'foreign agent', making participation in its work a criminal offence. Russian audiences access it via VPN.Source: event
Why does Meduza interview Russian government officials?: Despite being classified as 'undesirable' by the Russian government, Meduza has obtained interviews with serving officials — notably with Economic Development Minister Reshetnikov in April 2026 — because some officials are willing to speak candidly to a credible outlet with wide Russian-speaking reach, even one that is formally banned.Source: https://lowdown.today/entities/meduza
Where is Meduza based?: Meduza is headquartered in Riga, Latvia, where it relocated in 2014 after Russian authorities moved against its predecessor publication. Latvia's EU membership provides legal protection for its journalists that would not be available inside Russia.Source: https://lowdown.today/entities/meduza
How did Meduza estimate 352,000 Russian soldiers killed?: Meduza and Mediazona used Probate Registry excess male mortality data, published on 9 May 2026, to produce a statistical upper-bound estimate of 352,000 Russian soldiers killed by end-2025. This runs alongside Mediazona's separate named-and-verified list of 202,000 confirmed deaths.Source: event
Where is Meduza based and why did it leave Russia?: Meduza is based in Riga, Latvia, where it relocated in 2014 after facing increasing legal and editorial pressure inside Russia. Its Latvian base provides legal protection that would be unavailable inside Russia.Source: event

Background

Meduza is Russia's most prominent independent news outlet, operating from Riga, Latvia after being forced out of Russia in 2014. It publishes in Russian and, since 2021, in English, targeting both Russian-speaking audiences inside Russia, who access it via VPN despite government blocks, and the international community. In March 2022, Russia designated Meduza an 'undesirable organisation', the most severe legal category under Russian law, making it a criminal offence to participate in or support its work. A subsequent 'foreign agent' designation compounds the legal jeopardy for any Russian source.

Despite this, Meduza maintains a network of inside-Russia contributors. Its most significant methodological contribution to casualty accountability came on 9 May 2026, when Meduza and partner outlet Mediazona published a statistical estimate using Probate Registry excess male mortality: 352,000 Russian soldiers killed by end-2025. This Probate Registry method runs alongside Mediazona's existing named-and-verified individual list (202,000 confirmed deaths recorded as of 22 May 2026) and represents the first systematic upper-bound estimate to appear in Russian exile media.

Meduza's position as a Russian-language outlet run by exiled Russian journalists gives it credibility with audiences sceptical of Western media framing, while its Riga base provides legal protection unavailable inside Russia. It remains one of the few sources capable of reporting on Russian domestic reality with institutional independence.

Source Material

Meduza, Wikipedia Meduza, English edition

How the World Sees Them

Russia (state)

Moscow treats Meduza as a foreign intelligence asset and enemy of the state. The 'undesirable organisation' designation was specifically designed to criminalise contact with it, cutting off domestic contributors and sources. Kremlin officials do not grant Meduza interviews and routinely attack its reporting as fabricated.

Russian civil society

For Russians who oppose the war or distrust state media, Meduza is a primary news source. Its VPN traffic from Russia remains substantial despite the blocks, and its investigative work on military casualties — citing Mediazona and BBC Russia's Cargo 200 project — has shaped opposition understanding of the war's human cost.

Western media and governments

Meduza occupies an unusual position: a Russian-language outlet based in an EU NATO member state, funded in part by reader donations and grants from Western foundations. Its front-line analysis is cited by Western analysts and governments as a credible independent source, distinct from both Russian state media and Ukrainian official communications.