The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is temporarily suspending the work of its employees in Russia due to a new law on prison sentence of up to 15 years for fake news about the Russian Armed Forces, BBC Director-General Tim Davie said.

"This legislation appears to criminalize the process of independent journalism. It leaves us no other option than to temporarily suspend the work of all BBC News journalists and their support staff within the Russian Federation while we assess the full implications of this unwelcome development," Davie said in a statement released by the BBC on Friday.

The BBC News Service in Russia will continue operating from outside the country, the statement said.

"The safety of our staff is paramount and we are not prepared to expose them to the risk of criminal prosecution simply for doing their jobs. I'd like to pay tribute to all of them, for their bravery, determination and professionalism," Davie said.