Russia bans anti-propaganda organization XZ Foundation as ‘undesirable organization’

The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has banned the agency XZ Foundation, which was created in 2023 to combat Russian propaganda, as an “undesirable organization,” State Duma deputy Andrey Lugovoy reported on Telegram.

Past projects supported by XZ Foundation have included a video series from writer Mikhail Zygar and director Ilya Khrzhanovsky titled “Great Russian Villains” and a guide for how to talk with relatives who support the war.

Lugovoy wrote that Zygar and Khrzhanovsky are the creators of XZ Foundation and that Zygar’s ex-wife Maya Stravinskaya is its general director. The organization’s site does not currently contain any information about its activities.