Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said Russia is in a period of “unprecedented” military censorship and defended the restrictions as necessary while the country wages war in Ukraine. In an interview published Friday by the Russian business journal Expert, Peskov argued that information warfare compels the government to curb outlets that “deliberately discredit” the state, adding that the current regime is therefore “justified.” Peskov acknowledged that many publications have closed and numerous journalists have left Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Press-freedom group Reporters Without Borders says almost all independent media have been banned, blocked or subjected to sanctions, while the remaining outlets are either state-run or controlled by Kremlin-aligned owners. The spokesman suggested the controls could eventually be relaxed, forecasting a “softer information policy” and the re-emergence of more neutral outlets once wartime conditions ease. For now, he praised domestic media for what he termed heightened patriotism in their coverage.