Russia fines Wikipedia owner over 'fake information' about Ukraine war

The Wikimedia Foundation has been hit with a string of fines as Moscow pursues a drive to crack down on independent sources of information.

A Moscow court on Thursday fined the Wikimedia Foundation, owner of the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, 2 million roubles ($24,525) for failing to remove what the court termed "fake information" about Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, Interfax reported.

Smoke emanates from multiple buildings after shelling in the Donetsk region. (Yevhen Titov / AFP)

The Wikimedia Foundation has been hit with a string of fines as Moscow pursues a drive to crack down on independent sources of information. Wikimedia has previously said information that Russian authorities have complained about was well sourced and in line with Wikipedia standards.