'They Are Lying To You': Cracks Emerge In Russian State TV's Support For War In Ukraine

Employees of Russia’s state television networks have been the backbone of President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power for years, crafting any narrative necessary to further his ambitions. But now after weeks of the war in Ukraine, cracks are beginning to emerge.

On Wednesday, Marina Ovsyannikova, the reporter who brazenly interrupted a broadcast on the state-run Channel One with an anti-war placard, said she was "extremely concerned" for her safety in an interview with Reuters. But at the same time, she expressed hope that her protest would resonate with others.

According to the BBC, only hours after Ovsyannikova's protest, the resignation of three more Russian journalists working for state TV were revealed. One of her Channel One colleagues, Zhanna Agalakova, quit her job with the network and so did two long-time presenters at another network, NTV. This network in particular is symbolic given that it was among the first of the privately-owned channels to be taken over by Putin’s Kremlin in the early years of his power.

The rumblings of discontent do not end there. A journalist at one of Russia’s largest broadcasters VGTRK wrote that dissatisfaction was brewing at the network and a planned mass resignation was in the works. However, a mass protest has not been confirmed to have taken place since it was announced.

RT, formerly Russia Today, a network recognized as a propaganda tool by the U.S. government, saw some of its international journalists put in their resignations. One of them, RT's chief editor Maria Baronova, told the BBC that Putin's choice to go to war with Ukraine "destroyed" Russia's reputation globally and its economy.

It is unclear exactly how widespread these resignations run or how much they will influence Russian policy, but they do show how the war has divided even loyal corners of support for Putin.

These protests have been welcomed and encouraged by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. On Wednesday, Zelensky issued a direct appeal to employees of the Russian state-media apparatus, who he referred to as the “fourth branch of power” in Russia, to take a stand against Putin lest they lose everything in the end.

“If you stay to work to push propaganda, you are putting yourself at much greater risk than if you just leave. Just quit,” Zelensky urged in his address.

These protests do not appear to have gone unnoticed by the Russian government. Shortly after Zelensky made a speech before the U.S. Congress, Putin issued his own remarks where he attacked unidentified "fifth" columnists inside Russia, who he said the West was rooting for to undermine the state. He added that it was necessary for Russia to undergo a “self-cleansing” to get rid of the "bastards and traitors."

"I am certain that this necessary and natural self-cleansing of society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, togetherness, and our readiness to answer any calls to action," Putin said.