Sanctions cost us vital income, says Russian opposition channel TV Rain

Co-founder says it is ‘near impossible to operate’ without YouTube ad income from viewers in Russia

Western sanctions are threatening the viability of TV Rain, the main privately run opposition TV channel broadcasting into Russia, one of its co-founders has said.

Vera Krichevskaya said the channel was losing between $1m and $1.5m a year in potential revenue from its YouTube platform because sanctions meant it could not monetise adverts viewed by its Russian audience. The lack of advertising revenue leaves the outlet heavily dependent on outside donors to survive.