Sputnik

Russia has launched a new state-run international "media brand" called Sputnik.

Dmitry Kiselev, who is widely known as the Kremlin's "propagandist-in-chief", told an audience in Moscow that Sputnik would operate "multi-media hubs" with 30 to 100 staff in major foreign cities such as London, Paris, Washington, DC, Istanbul and Beijing.

Such centres will produce broadcast radio programmes and web material for its flagship website in a total of 30 languages, with over 800 hours of radio programming a day, covering over 130 cities and 34 countries.