A Russian court fined Alphabet-owned Google 21.1 billion roubles ($373 million) on Monday for repeatedly failing to remove content Moscow deems illegal, state communications regulator Roskomnadzor said on Monday.

Russia has long opposed foreign tech platforms distributing content that violates its restrictions. Still, the simmering dispute has erupted into full-scale fighting since Moscow sent armed forces to Ukraine in February.
Last year, Google was fined 7.2 billion roubles for failing to remove or block content.

Bank accounts at its Russian branch have been seized, prompting the subsidiary to file for bankruptcy and unable to pay employees and suppliers.

Communications regulator Roskomnadzor said in June that Alphabet’s video platform YouTube deliberately spread disinformation about the conflict in Ukraine and allowed content that promoted extremist views and called children to participate in unauthorised protests.

“The video hosting site YouTube deliberately disseminated misleading information about the progress of special military operations in Ukraine to discredit the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,” Roskomnadzor said.

Russia said it was conducting “special military operations” in Ukraine to defuse threats to its security and protect Russian speakers from persecution.

Ukraine and its Western allies see such allegations as baseless excuses for illegal land grabs.