Russian state channels, such as VGTRK, give the Russian people a pink-washed picture of the bloody war in Ukraine. This works thanks to precise instructions from the Russian secret service FSB and the country’s Defense Ministry – and false information, as the “New York Times” made public.
The American newspaper came to this conclusion after analyzing 900,000 leaked emails from VGTRK employees. Shocking: 750 gigabytes of files were found showing the preparations for the war and the early phases between January and March. According to the documents examined by the newspaper, the state propagandists followed instructions from the FSB and the Russian Ministry of Defense about reporting events in Ukraine.
«Please use this material»
On the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, February 24, FSB officers sent a letter to state media. The letter said that the Ukrainian army would leave its posts. In another letter to the All-Russian State Television and Radio Company, the FSB alleged that Ukraine allegedly seized a civilian cargo ship. Statements that cannot yet be independently confirmed.
In March, the Russian army sent an “Important!” marked letter a video with an alleged Ukrainian refugee. The woman in the photo explained that the theater in Mariupol, where civilians were staying, was blown up by Ukrainian nationalists and not bombed by the Russian army. “Please use the material,” the letter read. In March, Mediazona reported on the case, claiming that the video showing the fugitive had been distributed by the FSB.
Russia’s only victory is its propaganda machine
Not only that, conservative Western media, quotes from Chinese politicians and obscure Telegram videos have also been misused for purposes of the Russian government. Russian channels have poured into claims that Western oil embargoes against Russia are doomed, that the US is hiding secret bioweapons research labs in Ukraine, and that China is a stalwart ally against a fragmented West.
All this to achieve the greatest goal of the Russian government: to portray Moscow as the victor of the war. Even as the country faces battlefield casualties, mounting casualties, economic isolation and international condemnation, the state television networks are creating a version of the war in which Russia wins, Ukraine and Western alliances crumble. And that while it is actually clear that only the well-oiled propaganda machine is the greatest success of Vladimir Putin (70) and his statesmen. (chs/jwg)