Russia's Novaya Gazeta, one of the last remaining independent newspapers in the country, has announced it is shutting down.

The closure was announced on Friday, with staff accusing the government of forcing the publication out of existence.

Novaya Gazeta had long been considered Russia's most prominent investigative newspaper. Its closure marks a significant blow to what little independent journalism remained in the country.

The newspaper cited sustained pressure from authorities as the reason for its decision to close. Among the incidents cited, authorities recently searched the home of a senior editor at the publication.

Earlier this year, one of the newspaper's journalists was also detained by authorities.

The closures comes after years of pressure on the outlet, which had previously faced the murders and arrests of members of its staff.