Russia’s media regulator has announced it is opening an investigation into the BBC a day after Ofcom ruled that Kremlin-backed broadcaster RT (formerly Russia Today) had breached its broadcasting code.

RT was yesterday found to have breached impartiality rules seven times in a six-week period this year in its coverage of the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury in March.

Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media watchdog, said it was examining whether the BBC World News channel and the BBC’s online services in the country are compliant with Russian law.