Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Moscow Court Bans Instagram, Facebook For 'Carrying Out Extremist Activities'

Russia-Ukraine Crisis: The Russian court's ruling comes at a time when most companies are leaving the country.

META logo on a screen (File photo: AFP)

New Delhi: A Moscow court on Monday has banned Facebook and Instagram in the country as the war between Russia and Ukraine has entered the 26th day, as reported by news agency AFP.

Russia has called social networking sites extremist organizations. A Russian court has ruled that Meta should immediately ban Facebook and Instagram in Russia for "carrying out extremist activities". The Russian court's ruling comes at a time when most companies are leaving the country.

#BREAKING Russian court bans Instagram, Facebook as 'extremist' organisations pic.twitter.com/yLJ0udIBZ6

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 21, 2022

"The activities of the Meta organisation are directed against Russia and its armed forces," FSB representative Igor Kovalevsky told Moscow's Tverskoi district court, Russian news agencies reported as quoted by AFP.

"We ask (the court) to ban Meta's activities and oblige it to implement this ruling immediately," he said.

Danone, the country's largest dairy company, Coca-Cola has announced to close its business after many countries announced economic sanctions on Russia. The American shoe company Nike and the Swedish home furnishing company IKEA have also announced the temporary closure of their stores in Russia.

Meanwhile, Mariupol has come under heavy shelling. Russia has given an ultimatum to Ukraine to evacuate Mariupol, but the Ukrainian army has refused to surrender. Russia, on the other hand, has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in Mariupol.

The city of Mariupol acts as a bridge connecting southern and eastern Ukraine. If Putin's army captures it, it will be greatly benefited. Ukraine claims that thousands of its civilians have been killed in the Russian attack. Ukraine is also claiming that it has done a lot of damage to Russia in the war in retaliation. It is claimed that more than 13,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the war. Many of its airplanes, tanks and artillery have been destroyed.