BBC journalist’s sadness at being ordered to leave
A BBC journalist who has spent almost a third of her life in Russia has said she is devastated at being expelled from the country and told she can never return.
Sarah Rainsford, the BBC’S Moscow correspondent, was told by the Russian authorities that her visa would not be renewed so she must leave before it expires at the end of the month.
She first went to Russia as a student in the 1990s and has dedicated herself to telling the country’s story to the world.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said: “I am being expelled and I have been told that I can’t come back – ever.
“To be honest, it’s devastating personally, but it is also shocking.
“Russia has never been a posting for me, it is not just any old place, it is a country that I have devoted a huge amount of my life to trying to understand.
“I’ve really loved trying to tell the story of Russia to the world, but increasingly it is a difficult story to tell.”
Russia have linked the decision to difficulties its journalists have in obtaining or extending UK visas.