Russia’s state-funded broadcaster RT said in a statement Tuesday that it was launching a local language version in the Balkans nation of Serbia.
The broadcaster, which was suspended in the European Union earlier this year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, said its new branch will cover “the most pressing regional and world events from an alternative point of view.”
As Russia has been increasingly isolated from the West over its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has sought closer ties with traditional allies like Serbia, a fellow Orthodox Christian nation.
A news website called RT Balkan is already operating and RT plans to begin local language TV broadcasts no later than 2024, according to the statement.
RT chief editor Margarita Simonyan tweeted that: “We have launched RT in the Balkans. Because Kosovo is Serbia.”
The outlet will be headed by Jelena Milincic, daughter of Ljubica Milincic, the editor of Russian state-funded news agency Sputnik, who described herself as “pro-Russian and pro-Putin oriented” in an interview earlier this year.
Jelena Milincic previously worked for RT Spanish in Moscow and has also hosted a show called “Propaganda” on Russia’s state-controlled NTV television channel.
The EU suspended the distribution of Russian Today English, Russia Today UK, Russia Today Germany, Russia Today France, Russia Today Spanish and Sputnik in March following the Russian attack on Ukraine.
