Nov 15 (Reuters) - Apple ( AAPL ) has deleted one of

U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Russian-language

news apps from the Russian App Store at the request of state

communications regulator Roskomnadzor, the news outlet said on

Friday.

Apple ( AAPL ) and Roskomnadzor did not immediately respond to

requests for comment. Reuters reporters in Russia could still

access the app on mobile devices.

Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has put dozens of

opposition media websites on blacklists and banned several

foreign social-media platforms in a crackdown it casts as part

of an information war unleashed by the West after Moscow's 2022

invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow's restriction of news sites ultimately limits

Russians' access to independent media. Moscow often accuses

blocked sites of false reporting.

RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who had been found guilty

in Russia of spreading false information about the Russian army,

was released in a prisoner swap with the West on Aug. 1. RFE/RL

CEO Stephen Capus had called Kurmasheva's trial and conviction

"a mockery of justice".

One of RFE/RL's local websites in Russia, Siberia.Realities,

said Apple ( AAPL ) had notified Radio Svoboda, which means "freedom" in

Russian, that the Svoboda app was being deleted. The app houses

Russian content from the Siberia.Realities and North.Realities

projects.

Apple ( AAPL ) removed 25 virtual private network applications from

its App Store in Russia at Roskomnadzor's behest, the Interfax

news agency reported in July, part of Moscow's crackdown on

services that help people circumvent online restrictions.

Apple ( AAPL ) paused all product sales in Russia soon after the

Ukraine invasion and limited its Apple Pay service in Russia.