Russia Today hits back after broadcasters across the globe stopped airing its channel

State-controlled Russian TV station Russia Today has lashed broadcasters around the world for dumping it, claiming the move suppressed free speech.

Russia Today presenter Sean Thomas discussing Foxtel's removal of the station from its platform. Picture: YouTube.

Russia’s state-controlled television network has hit back at media outlets for “suppressing” their station after it was stripped from viewing platforms around the world over concerns it was spreading misinformation about the unfolding crisis in Ukraine.

The station’s comments come less than 24 hours after Foxtel executives stripped Russia Today from its services.

Russia Today’s deputy editor-in-chief Anna Belkina told viewers on Sunday the move by media outlets to take her station’s broadcasts off the air was suppressing free speech.

“RT journalists tirelessly work to bring valuable facts and views to an audience of millions around the world, but when an organisation of government either called for or have RT taken off the air, it simply highlights the policy of media freedoms in the nations that they represent,” she said.

“Just look at the Association of European Journalists, who on the one hand so fascistly declare themselves as defenders of journalistic rights, yet so readily turn their back on this very founding principle to support the suppression of news and journalists under political pressure.

“If ever there were a time to recognise the importance of all fact-gathering news and understanding of all viewers, it is now.”

Russia Today presenter Sean Thomas said the station had received a letter from Foxtel executives about the decision to remove the channel from its Australian platforms including its satellite network, Foxtel Now and news streaming service Flash.

Russia Today deputy editor Anna Belkina discussing the station’s axing by media outlets. Picture: YouTube.

“Foxtel has sent a letter to RT saying it ended distribution over ‘concern about the situation in Ukraine’,” he said.

“The channel added that it considered it has the right to do so under the licence agreement with this network.”

Foxtel would not comment on Sunday and it remains unclear how long the station remains removed.

On Thursday Poland took five Russian channels including Russia Today off air and in Britain the station was accused of being a tool of Kremlin misinformation and requested that the media regulator, Ofcom, take action if required to review its licence.

Before the crisis unfolded in Ukraine, Germany blocked Russia Today’s sister channel RTDE. Sky TV in New Zealand also suspended airing Russia Today at the weekend.

In an interview that aired on Sky News Australia on Sunday, CNN journalist Jill Dougherty said that live vision of the Russian attacks in Ukraine was not being aired on Russia Today.

“At the very same time CNN and other Western media were showing the attacks in Kyiv, Russian TV was not showing live coverage from Kyiv,” she said.

“In fact it was showing pre-taped reports, some of them very dramatic showing reporters in flak jackets standing in front of tanks but coming instead from that breakaway region in the eastern part of Ukraine, the Donbas region.”

Despite the moves to suspend the channel, Australian viewers can still access Russia Today via Google-owned YouTube.

Google was contacted for comment but did not respond.