The executive director of MIA “Russia today” Kirill Vyshinsky received a government award in the field of mass media, the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers reported.
He was awarded “for courage in the performance of professional duties and personal contribution to the struggle for the rights of journalists”.
Previously, Vyshinsky headed the portal “RIA Novosti Ukraine”. He spent more than a year in custody in Ukraine, where he was accused of treason and support for the self-proclaimed republics of Donbass. In the summer of 2019, the Russian authorities secured his release, in the fall of the same year he returned to the Russian Federation and began to protect the rights of journalists.
So, in March of this year, the PACE speaker was given a letter by Vyshinsky about the persecution of journalists in Latvia.
In February, he staged a single picket before the meeting of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrel.
In total, media representatives will be awarded 20 awards of one million rubles each. Nine employees of the press were awarded with personal awards this year. 11 journalistic teams will also be awarded.