Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine block Google search engine

FILE PHOTO: Broken Ethernet cable is seen in front of Google logo in this illustration taken March 11, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

(Reuters) - Russian-backed separatists in a breakaway region of eastern Ukraine have blocked access to the search engine Google, their leader said on Friday, citing what he calls "disinformation".

In a message posted on his Telegram channel, Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), accused Google of promoting "violence against all Russians" and said that its "handlers from the U.S. government" were to blame.