On Friday, Russian law enforcement conducted a search at the residence of the mother of Anastasia Chumakova, the founder and editor-in-chief of the independent news platform Astra, which is based in the U.S. The search took place in Ulyanovsk and is part of a criminal investigation into accusations against Chumakova for allegedly disseminating “false information” regarding the Russian military.
Under wartime censorship laws, such violations can lead to sentences of up to ten years in prison.
According to Astra, agents from the FSB along with police and investigators visited the home of Chumakova’s 61-year-old mother early in the morning, examined her private messages, and confiscated electronic devices.
Reports indicate that Chumakova’s mother was interrogated as a witness in this investigation.
It is worth noting that Chumakova has not lived nor been registered at her mother’s apartment for over ten years.
Previously, she served as a correspondent in New York for the Russian television network RTVI until her dismissal in December 2021.
Chumakova established Astra during the first week of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, motivated by a desire to combat wartime censorship and deliver accurate news regarding the conflict.
Last October, the Russian Ministry of Justice designated Astra as a “foreign agent,” accusing it of disseminating “inaccurate information” about state policy to foster a “negative image” of the Russian military.
In March, a court in Ulyanovsk imposed a fine of 35,000 rubles (approximately $433) on Chumakova for not registering herself as the leader of a “foreign agent” media organization.
Chumakova mentioned that she relocated to an undisclosed “tropical state” a month after launching Astra, where she lived in a tent due to financial constraints that prevented her from securing permanent housing.
“Life was straightforward: I used rainwater for showers, dishwashing, and various needs. Drinking water was sourced from a well. I utilized a gas cylinder for cooking and heating water for showers, while solar panels supplied electricity,” Chumakova recounted in a December 2023 interview.
