Russian President Vladimir Putin urged his countrymen to avoid using Wikipedia, arguing that it cannot be trusted, and offering a volunteer-run online encyclopedia.
The situation is a result of Wikipedia refusing to remove details regarding Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. During an interview, Putin claims that the information site's quality of work was not enough to be trusted. The site's details of the war drastically stray from the Kremlin's narrative and include estimates from the Ukrainian government regarding the death toll of Russian troops and Ukrainian civilians.
Putin on Wikipedia
Wikipedia and YouTube are two of the only places where Russian citizens are able to access information about the war in defiance of the Kremlin's strict censorship laws. Previously, authorities blocked Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter from being accessed online.
Russia's repeated threats did not prevent YouTube and Wikipedia from putting up information regarding the war. Wikimedia Foundation, the parent organization of Wikipedia, did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the situation, as per Forbes.
On Mar. 1, Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor demanded that Wikipedia take down content on Russia's invasion of Ukraine that began on Feb. 24. When the information site declined, Moscow said it would be fined roughly $61,000 on Mar. 31 for allegedly "misinforming" Russian citizens.
During a meeting with Maxim Dreval, the CEO of the state-sponsored Znanie Foundation, Putin called the online encyclopedia objective, useful, and thought-through. He said that Znanie, which is translated to "knowledge," was in high demand because it was impossible to use only Wikipedia.
According to the Moscow Times, the online encyclopedia, which was founded by a presidential decree in 2015, is tasked with the improvement of Russia's civil society and educational work. Its core project is known as "The League of Lecturers" which aims to provide government officials and other prominent figures a platform for educating young Russian citizens.
New Russian Online Encyclopedia
Dreval said that a knowledge base was already being formed within the framework of knowledge that would be similar to Wikipedia in many ways. However, he added that the defining difference is that the new online information source would have trustworthy data and authoritative people.
The Russian president also agreed to support the idea of increasing educational content on Russian television channels. Furthermore, the Znanie CEO suggested, in particular, that they should include more films, game formats, lectures, and content about the nation's geography and history.
The situation comes as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its 71st day and has caused devastating effects on civilian life and infrastructure in the smaller European nation. President Volodymyr Zelensky and his colleagues have said that their troops made significant advancements in retaking ground overrun by Russian forces.
The Kremlin said on May 5 that the U.S., the UK, and other NATO countries were "constantly" providing intelligence to Ukraine. Russian authorities that this would not stop them from achieving their military objectives in the country.
Moscow's military claimed on May 4 that it used sea and air-launched missiles to target electric power installations at five railway stations located around Ukraine. The country's foreign minister has accused Russia of "missile terrorism" after several attacks that hit civilian infrastructure, the RepublicWorld reported.
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