{"data":{"id":"fact_p08j8zrvxl","thread":{"slug":"russia-ukraine","title":"Russia–Ukraine War"},"occurredAt":"2022-02-27T12:00:00.000Z","recordedAt":"2026-09-02T03:21:32.322Z","title":"EU bans RT and Sputnik, closes airspace to Russian aircraft","body":"On 27 February 2022, the European Union imposed sanctions on Russian state-owned media outlets RT and Sputnik, banning their broadcasts within the EU. The same day, the EU closed its airspace to all Russian-owned, Russian-registered, or Russian-controlled aircraft. The measures were part of a broader response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February 2022.","location":"European Union","actors":["European Union","RT","Sputnik"],"verdict":"VERIFIED","verdictNote":"Multiple reputable sources confirm that on 27 February 2022 the European Union banned RT and Sputnik and closed its airspace to Russian aircraft. The EU Council announced the ban on state-owned outlets and the airspace closure in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The claim is consistent across independent reports.","sources":[{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_(news_agency)","title":"Sputnik (news agency)","publisher":"Wikipedia","retrievedAt":"2026-09-02"},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RT_(TV_network)","title":"RT (TV network)","publisher":"Wikipedia","retrievedAt":"2026-09-02"},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airlines_banned_in_the_European_Union","title":"List of airlines banned in the European Union","publisher":"Wikipedia","retrievedAt":"2026-09-02"}],"tags":["eu-sanctions","russia","ukraine-invasion","media-ban","airspace-closure"],"views":8,"updatedAt":"2026-09-04T23:10:03.161Z","media":[],"relatedFactIds":[],"url":"/fact/fact_p08j8zrvxl"}}