Russian President Vladimir Putin's former election spokesman has been appointed to run the state news agency TASS, according to a government order published on July 5. The Kremlin has tightened its control over the media since the start of the Ukraine war, forcing the closure of leading independent news outlets and designating many journalists and publications as "foreign agents.” Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order dismissing Sergei Mikhailov as general director of TASS and appointing Andrei Kondrashov in his place. Kondrashov, 50, is a state television journalist who in 2018 worked as the press secretary of Putin's election headquarters. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
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