During the broadcast of An evening with Vladimir Soloviyev on Russia 1, one of the most watched programs on Russian television, experts made no secret of their views.
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Television personality Vladimir Soloviyev, one of the Kremlin’s main propagandists.
Ⓒ ANP/HH
Russian filmmaker Karen Shakhnazarov believes that the conflict in Ukraine threatens to isolate Russia. “I can’t imagine taking cities like Kiev.” He also called for an end to the conflict. “If this turns into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our closest allies, such as China and India, will be forced to distance themselves from us.”
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Russian filmmaker Karen Shakhnazarov.
Ⓒ ANP/HH
But these critical expressions did not stop there. Talk show guest Semyon Bagdasarov, an academic, added another coin. “Should we go to another Afghanistan, but worse?”
The reference to Afghanistan is sensitive. In 1979 the Soviet Union wanted to take power in troubled Afghanistan, but the invasion failed. The military operation was to last only ten weeks, but turned into a tiresome operation of ten years. Finally, the Soviet Union withdrew in 1989.
Television personality Vladimir Soloviyev, one of the Kremlin’s main propagandists, diligently tried to interrupt his guests.
‘Stop’
The Kremlin relies heavily on state television to get the message of Putin and his ‘special operation’. It is therefore very daring that these guys express themselves so openly critically. They even run the risk of jail time. Russia recently threatened to jail anyone who criticizes the war for up to 15 years.
Soloviyev’s prime-time show isn’t the only channel that seems to stray from Putin’s dictated message. On Zvezda, a Russian patriotic television channel, an army officer explained to viewers how Russian soldiers died in Ukraine. The presenter, however, did not want to hear about it. “No, no, no”, interrupted the presenter, gesturing wildly. He got up and strode through the studio: “Stop,” he shouted.
“But our youth is dying,” continued the soldier. The presenter shouted: “Can you stop now? I’ll tell you what our guys are doing there: our guys are crushing the fascist snakes. It’s a Russian Renaissance.”