Normally, since the beginning of the war, commentators in the Russian media have tried to outdo themselves by showing solidarity with President Vladimir Putin and hailing successes in the “special military operation.” In addition, Ukraine and its allies are regularly reviled. But since the weekend, the mood has become more subdued. The setbacks of the Russian army in eastern Ukraine after the lightning-fast counter-offensive by the Ukrainian armed forces mean that not only Moscow, but also the state media needs explanation.
For example, the alleged numerical superiority of the Ukrainian troops is cited as a justification, or the statement by the Ministry of Defense for the hasty withdrawal of thousands of soldiers from the Kharkov region is confirmed, which says it is a matter of “tactical regrouping”.
Notorious for her extreme views, talk show host Olga Skabeeva tried to put a positive spin on the developments. She opened her daily schedule Monday morning with a reference to the Russian bombing of Ukrainian power plants and the resulting widespread power outages in eastern Ukraine. This is a “turning point” in military operation. Several guests then again quoted Putin’s words from July, according to which Russia had not even seriously started its operation. They were convinced that the military action would now be stepped up.
“Regroup” instead of subtraction
The news channel Rossiya 24 in turn interviewed the Russian governor for Kharkiv, Vitaly Gantchev. He stressed that the Ukrainians were eight times outnumbered the Russians. He also claimed that Ukrainian troops were supported by Western mercenaries. He has provided no evidence for this. Dimtri Kiselyov, one of Russia’s most influential journalists, said at the beginning of his Sunday evening TV program that it had been “an extremely difficult week at the front”. However, the studio setting clearly reflected the Department of Defense motto: “Regrouping” was read in the background.
Most Russian newspapers have also embedded their coverage of the soldiers’ withdrawal in the Defense Ministry motto. For example, the daily Izvestia summed up the weekend by saying that Russia had killed 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers and that the army was now regrouping to focus on the Donbass.
“Very disturbing news”
However, Nezavisimaya Gazeta noted critically that the Defense Ministry had not commented on the “extremely disturbing news from Ukraine” for several days. The newspaper also noted that Ukrainian troops are advancing on the Russian border, while the Russian military leadership is currently thousands of miles away from major maneuvers in the Far East.
On the other hand, regular talk show guest Boris Nadezhdin on the NTV channel, which is owned by the state-owned company Gazprom, clearly criticized Putin’s advisers. They would have given the president the wrong impression that Ukraine would soon give up. Nadezhdin called for immediate peace talks to end the conflict.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
