Britain's media regulator fined Russia's RT £200,000 ($248,740) for breaching broadcasting impartiality rules in its coverage of the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal, the policies of Ukraine and the conflict in Syria.

Relations between London and Moscow sank to a post-Cold War low over the 2018 poisoning of Skripal, a mole who betrayed hundreds of Russian agents to Britain's MI6 foreign spy service. Britain blamed that attack on Russia which denied involvement.

Britain's media regulator, known as Ofcom, said it had "imposed a £200,000 fine on ANO TV Novosti in relation to its service RT for failing to comply with our broadcasting rules."

The regulator said the fine related to RT news and current affairs programs broadcast between Mar. 17 and Apr. 26 dealing with issues such as the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, the conflict in Syria, and the Ukrainian government's position on Nazism and its treatment of gypsies.