“We reject Russia’s claim that the ABC’s reporters have done anything illegal,” the ABC said in a statement.

“They were reporting from occupied territory in a war zone and in full compliance with international law. Their reporting was done in the interests of keeping the public fully informed on a story of international importance. They are being fully supported by the ABC.”

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A third journalist, Mircea Barba, a Romanian special correspondent for the website HotNews, also faces charges after being criticised by pro-war Russian military bloggers for reporting from the Kursk region.

Since Putin’s troops launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has put more than 200 Australians on a list permanently banning them from entering the country. Among them are several journalists from the ABC, reporters and editors from the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age as well as various defence officials and political figures.