Exiled journalists from Russia’s harsh opposition daily Novaya Gazeta opened a new publication in Latvia on Friday.

The first issue of Novaya Gazeta. Europe was released in Riga just weeks after the Moscow-based daily, led by Nobel Peace Prize-winning editor Dmitry Muratov, was forced to close owing to increased pressure on alternative media outlets.

Novaya Gazeta.Europe “is a publication created by free Russian journalists who were forced to migrate,” said the Rigas Vilni publishing house which is the newspaper’s publisher.

“It is their independent point of view on the events of the war in Ukraine and developments in Russia,” it added.

Novaya Gazeta.Europe is being led by Kirill Martynov, a former deputy of Muratov, and will publish in Russian and Latvian.

“When Russian propaganda makes May 9 (marking the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945) its day, Novaya Gazeta will be on news stands as a symbol of the fact they didn’t succeed in shutting us down,” Martynov said on Latvian public radio.

“I hope that copies of the newspaper will find their way into Russia, even illegally,” he added.

The 28-page print edition, which will cost 1.29 euros at newsstands, will include pieces that were previously published on the newspaper’s Telegram account and other social media platforms.

Since 2014, the independent Russian news website Meduza has been functioning in Riga, Latvia’s capital, to avoid Russian influence.