Russian TV journalist Marina Ovsiannikova is in exile after protests against the war in Ukraine. In early June, she traveled from there to Ukraine, but was attacked, according to her own statement. Her “sudden change of heart is not trusted,” said a Ukrainian colleague.
As reported, two weeks after the start of the war, Russian TV journalist Marina Ovsiannikova suddenly appeared behind the presenter during the main news program “Vremya” and held a sign with the words “No war” in front of the camera. A second sign read in Cyrillic: ‘Stop the war. Don’t believe the propaganda. You are being lied to here.” The live broadcast was then cut short. The journalist was arrested, interrogated for hours and had to pay a fine of 250 euros. Because she also expects a prison sentence, Owsiannikova fled into exile.
Not just sympathy
But not only sympathy would meet her there. Her opponents accuse the journalist of being a Russian spy. “I am in the middle of this information war. It may take a few months for people in Ukraine to begin to understand that there are also good Russians who are protesting the war,” she said in an interview with the AFP news agency in Berlin.
In early June, the 43-year-old traveled to Ukraine to cover the war for the Russian media. “I wanted to show the Russians what is really happening in Bucha, explain to the Russian people what is really happening in Ukraine, maybe record an interview with Zelenskyy,” Ovsiannikova said.
Doesn’t write for Die Welt anymore
But the people of Ukraine “wouldn’t trust their sudden change of heart,” Ukrainian journalist Olga Tokariuk said. She works at the Center for European Policy Analysis on Twitter. Tokariuk described her Russian colleague’s messages as “manipulative, incorrect and condescending.” Owsiannikova briefly worked as a freelance correspondent for the newspaper “Die Welt”. She has terminated this collaboration because, among other things, the daily work processes no longer fit.
The journalist hopes for a new job in the future. In any case, she won’t be returning to Russia anytime soon. “My friends ask me if I’d rather be poisoned or have a car accident.” Her situation is currently unbearable without humor.
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.
