In the wake of Kyiv’s blitzkrieg, the mood was more subdued and the narrative focused on how Ukrainian forces were allegedly outnumbered by the Russians in the northeast.
Her commentators Russian state television were forced to deviate from their usual scenario due to the rapid advance of Ukrainian forces in the area of Kharkiv and her rapid retreat of Moscow.
Since the beginning of the “special military operation” as Moscow calls it, belligerent guests on Russian television have tried to show that they support President Putin better than others and to criticize Ukraine and its allies.
But in the wake of Kyiv’s blitzkrieg, the mood was more subdued and the narrative focused on how Ukrainian forces allegedly outnumbered the Russians in the northeast.
Speaking to the Rossiya-24 TV channel today, the appointed Russian official in the Kharkiv region, Vitaly Gadchev, said that the numerical strength of Russian troops in the province was “eight times smaller”. He also said, without providing evidence, that Ukrainian forces had been reinforced by “foreign mercenaries”.
“The most difficult week on the front”, was the phrase with which the presenter Dmitry Kisiliev began his show on Sunday evening.
Against a backdrop of a studio with the words “Reorganization” written on it, Kisiliev said Russian forces had abandoned “previously liberated settlements” under pressure from “superior enemy forces.”
In a rare show of dissent, Boris Nadiezdin, a former liberal politician and regular talk show guest, told Gazprom-owned NTV that Putin had been misled by his advisers into thinking Ukraine would be quickly occupied and suggested immediate peace talks on to end the conflict.
The other guests spoke positively.
Speaking on the daily 60 Minutes show this morning, guest Olga Skabeyeva called the Russian bombing of Ukrainian power plants and the resulting blackouts across eastern Ukraine a “turning point in the special military operation.”
Several guests also referred to Putin’s remarks in July that “Russia has not started anything serious yet,” saying that Moscow would now begin strong military action.
Newspapers referring to the withdrawal of Russian troops were limited to statements by the Ministry of Defense about a “tactical regrouping”, although some newspapers citing military experts wrote that not everything went according to plan.
The Izvestia newspaper in its weekend review wrote that Russia had killed 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers and the army “has regrouped forces to focus on Donbas.”
The Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper was even more critical, writing that the Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on “the highly disturbing reports from Ukraine (…) for several weeks.”
The newspaper pointed out that as Ukrainian forces advanced towards Russia’s western border, Moscow’s military leadership was thousands of kilometers away in the country’s far east, where military exercises involving 50,000 men were taking place.
RES-EMP
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
