The European Union is blocking the Kremlin's media machine, as it bans state-owned media Russia Today and Sputnik from broadcasting in the bloc, in an effort to ramp up sanctions following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

EU officials say that these media outlets are playing an instrumental role in provoking aggression towards Ukraine.

"Systematic information manipulation and disinformation by the Kremlin is applied as an operational tool in its assault on Ukraine,”said Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

He added that Russia Today and Sputnik also posed “a significant and direct threat” to the European Union's public order and security.

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"In this time of war, words matter,”said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, “We are witnessing massive propaganda and disinformation over this outrageous attack on a free and independent country. We will not let Kremlin apologists pour their toxic lies justifying Putin's war or sow the seeds of division in our Union.”

The move is part of a series of much tougher sanctions that have been imposed by the EU against Russia, including a ban on transactions with the central bank, and the SWIFT ban for certain Russian banks, along with shutting EU airspace to Russian aircraft.

The ban on the media outlets will be in place until the aggression towards Ukraine ends, the European Council said.

Russia "has engaged in a systematic, international campaign of disinformation, information manipulation and distortion of facts in order to enhance its strategy of destabilisation of its neighbouring countries, the EU and its member states," the council said.

While many support the decision, questions have been raised about freedom of expression and freedom of the press and whether silencing RT and Sputnik goes against these principles.

"First of all, it should be remembered that media regulation does not fall within the competence of the European Union,” said Ricardo Gutiérrez, the general secretary of the European Federation of Journalists. 

"We believe the EU has no right to grant or withdraw broadcasting licences. This is an exclusive competence of the states.”

He added that "the total closure of a media outlet does not seem to me to be the best way to combat disinformation or propaganda”.

There is also a risk of retaliation.

In early February, Russia banned Deutsche Welle in retaliation for Germany's ban on RT.

In the past year there has been a crackdown on independent media in Russia.

"Russian authorities have used draconian legislation to muzzle independent media and individual journalists seen as critical of the government,” according to the European Commission.

Twitter has said that it is removing the accounts of RT and Sputnik to comply with the new measures, while YouTube is blocking their channels on its platform.

RT Deputy Editor-in-Chief Anna Belkina said in a statement on Tuesday that media platforms that were cutting off access to her outlet had not pointed to "a single grain of evidence that what RT has reported over these days, and continues to report, is not true.”