A Russian TV employee is reportedly missing after she crashed a live news broadcast to protest her country's invasion of Ukraine, holding up a sign that said, "NO WAR. Stop the war. Don't believe the propaganda. They're lying to you here."
The female anti-war protester crashed the news broadcast on day 19 of Russia's continued unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly justified his actions and decisions, calling the war a special military operation for the "denazification" of its neighbor.
Russian Protester
The demonstrator could be seen and heard for several seconds before the news channel, identified as state TV Channel One, switched to a different report and removed the woman from the screen.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his gratitude towards the protester in his nightly video address. During his remarks, he said that he was grateful to all of the Russian citizens who continued to convey the truth to their fellowmen and the world. He praised those who fought against disinformation and chose to convey real facts to their friends and loved ones, as per Reuters.
Human rights group OVD-Info, which monitors and tracks protest activity and detentions in Russia, identified the female protester as Marina Ovsyannikova. The employee is known to be an editor and producer with the broadcaster and said that he has previously been detained.
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Before Ovsyannikova stormed the set of Channel One, she recorded a video message where she called what was going on in Ukraine a crime. In the footage, the protester said that she has been working at Channel One for the past few years, working on Kremlin propaganda.
According to the Washington Post, Ovsyannikova said she was very ashamed of what she has done, allowing lies to be said on TV screens and being allowed to reach citizens. She said she regret allowing the citizens of her country to be zombified by propaganda.
War on Ukraine
Ovsyannikova said that Russian civilians were silently watching the anti-human regime take power and take advantage of other nations. She noted how the whole world was now turning away from the country and argued that the next 10 generations will not be able to cleanse themselves of the shame of the unprovoked war against Ukraine.
In her pre-recorded video, the protester wore a necklace that was in the color of the Ukrainian flag, blue and yellow, and noted that her father was Ukrainian while her mother was Russian. She argued that there was only one person who bore responsibility for the hateful situation, Putin.
Ovsyannikova urged her fellow citizens to join anti-war protests in order to force the federal government to bring an end to the conflict. She noted that only the people of Russia had the power to stop the madness, noting that authorities cannot imprison all of them.
OVD-Info said that Russian officials immediately arrested Ovsyannikova after her protest on Channel One and kept her at the Ostankino television center. The protester is believed to face prison time under a newly introduced Russian legislation that criminalizes the spread of "fake news," The Guardian reported.
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