Missing Russian journalist in Ukraine

Kim Kardashian in the White House? A McDonald’s in Pyongyang? Russian journalists rising from the dead? Had someone in a coma woken up yesterday, they’d be forgiven for thinking they had entered an alternate dimension.

Ukraine’s president has imposed personal sanctions against the heads of top Russian media, including RT, citing “national security and sovereignty” concerns. The travel ban, however, has been mocked by those who were targeted as a recognition of their merits.

The fact that private data of journalists in eastern Ukraine accused of “collaborating with terrorists” has repeatedly been leaked online with no repercussions means that it is backed by authorities, Russia’s ombudsman for human rights told RT.

European officials have urged Kiev to delete yet another list of foreign journalists “accused” of covering the situation on the ground in eastern Ukraine by a notorious website which claims to be hunting “enemies of the state” and “terrorist collaborators.”

Russian journalists preparing an investigative report into Ankara’s alleged involvement in the oil trade with ISIS have been detained and deported from Turkey. Moscow strongly condemned the treatment of the Rossiya 1 TV crew, demanding explanations.

Photojournalist Andrey Stenin left for Ukraine on May 15, his mother Vera told RT after his disappearance in August. She said they last talked on the phone on July 17 - during that conversation her son said, “It's close. I’ll be coming home soon.”