Editor Interrupts Russian News Broadcast with Anti-War Message

By Mark Mwachiro 

On Monday night, during a live news broadcast on Russia’s Channel 1, Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at the state-controlled network, rushed onto the set yelling “Stop the war! No to war!” while holding up an anti-war sign.

The sign she held as she interrupted the broadcast read, “No war, stop the war, don’t believe the propaganda, they are lying to you here.”

Her protest, which occurred for a few moments on live TV before the director quickly cut to a recorded news report, highlights how the Russian government strictly controls the narrative of what’s happening in Ukraine.

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Russian viewers can only access state-controlled narratives, mainly pro-Russian, as the Russian government has put severe restrictions on independent reporting. These restrictions have forced many international news outlets to either cut back or entirely stop reporting from that region.

As a result of her actions, Ovsyannikova is believed to be in police custody with no word on what exactly will happen to her.

Ovsyannikova recorded a video before her bold protest in which she called Russia’s actions in Ukraine a “crime” and that she’s ashamed to work for a network that pushes out “Kremlin propaganda.”

She also called on her fellow Russian citizens to protest against the war.

Her actions on Russian TV quickly went viral, with many reaching out to her on her Facebook page praising her for her courageous actions.

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