Ukraine on Monday blocked the websites of several prominent Russian media outlets in its latest round of sanctions against neighboring Russia which it has accused of spreading propaganda.

Ukrainian President Zelensky signed a decree, which confirmed a recommendation from the country’s National Security Council and the Defense Ministry to block access to the internet services of Rostelecom, as well as Russian daily newspapers Moskovsky Komsomolets, Versia and others.

According to the Ukrainian presidential decree, which was published on Sunday, a total of 12 Russia-based media outlets were subjected to blocking. They include, Business News Media joint-stock company and its web-source of Vedomosti business daily, TRK-3 joint-stock company, the Foundation for Historic Perspective Studies, charity association "Vzaimopomoshch," limited liability companies "Novinfo," "Nashe Zavtra," "Light-Print," "Narodnye Novosti" and the Anna-News news agency.

The Kremlin criticized the move, describing Ukraine as being on a path towards "strangling freedom of speech" and limiting "unwanted and uncomfortable" information. Vladimir Soloviev, the head of the Russian Union of Journalists, described the move as the "final cleansing" of Russian media in Ukraine. But Moskovsky Komsomolets editor-in-chief Pavel Gusev said the decision would not impact on the work of its Ukraine bureau "in any way".