Social media company TikTok said on Friday it would cut its Russian staff numbers after the company suspended key services for Russian users earlier this year, the RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing the company's press office.

"This year, we were forced to take a number of decisions regarding the operation of our service in Russia and now, unfortunately, we have had to reduce the number of employees in the country," the company said in a statement to RIA.

Chinese-owned video app TikTok suspended livestreaming and new uploads in Russia after Moscow introduced strict new media censorship following its invasion of Ukraine in February.

  - Reuters