sputnik

Over the last three years, the Russian state-backed news channel RT and news agency and radio Sputnik, have expanded their international presence; between them, they now broadcast across Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America.

Sputnik, meanwhile, launched a newsroom in Ethiopia in February.

That same year Russia's Sputnik started a 24-hour service in Lebanon, occupying the airwave vacated by BBC Arabic.

In February, Russian authorities travelled to Ethiopia for the launch of a new editorial centre for Sputnik.

Sputnik already broadcasts across parts of Africa in English and French languages, and has expanded to include Amharic, one of the official languages of Ethiopia.