May 27, Pozirk. Flagshtok, a media outlet focusing on coverage of Belarus’ southern Homiel region, has announced financial difficulties, which will limit its operations from June 1.
The newsroom has called for donations and urged donors to mind possible risks.
In August 2022, the Belarusian government declared Flagshtok’s content extremist. Earlier that year, the Committee for State Security (KGB) labeled the newsroom an extremist group.
The news website was launched in 2020 amid a successful public campaign against the regional government’s plan to build a $500,000 giant flagpole in Homiel.
Since 2022, it has covered movements of Russian troops in southern Belarus, among other developments.
Minsk has waged a massive crackdown on independent media since 2020. Recently, exiled newsrooms have faced financial difficulties, leading to staff reductions.
