The General Prosecutor's Office of Russia has designated the environmental activist organization Greenpeace as “undesirable.” The decision, as reported by state-run news agency RIA Novosti, was primarily motivated by Greenpeace's “attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the country.” Additionally, the organization was accused of sponsoring Russian “foreign agents” and “engaging in anti-Russian propaganda” since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In late April, the Russian Ecological Society (RES) made a request to classify Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as “foreign agents.” Consequently, Greenpeace was labeled as such, but faced more severe consequences due to being designated as “undesirable,” which prohibits their operations in Russia.
Rashid Ismailov, the chairman of the Russian Environmental Protection Agency, claims to have experienced “unfriendly actions” from both Greenpeace and WWF. These organizations are accused of shaping a “negative public perception regarding the environmental efforts of the Russian government and companies.”
“In one instance Greenpeace presented a fabricated image of water off the coast of Kamchatka, aiming to make false accusations. Such actions have a detrimental impact on public opinion and generate erroneous perceptions about the government's work. This goes beyond ecological concerns and ventures into the realm of politics.”