The Disney Channel will no longer be available in Russia from December 14 after twelve years of existence. According to the Russian business daily Kommersant, it will be replaced by the children's channel Solntse ("sun" in Russian), operated by Media1 in partnership with Mercury Content (Eduard Iloyan).
Media1 owns 80% of the Disney Channel in Russia, with the remaining 20% owned by the Disney Group. According to Mediascope, it was the 2nd highest ranked channel for children in October. It broadcasts Disney content and Russian productions.
The Disney group announced in March that it was suspending its activities in Russia because of the war in Ukraine (Satellifacts, March 1), but some of its services remained accessible, including the Disney Channel.