On Russian television, war in Ukraine is invisible

Russian television occulting bombings on Ukrainian cities and is content to present a “special military operation”, which must be similar to a simple routine.

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During The mid-day log of the first Russian television channel , Friday, February 25, largely dedicated to” Donbass’s special defense operation “, viewers will not have Since two furtive images of Kiev, the Ukrainian capital. The first is drawn from social networks. An amateur film turned to the window of a building, which the presenter describes: “A Ukrainian armor is on the boulevards of Obolon and crushes everything on his way, including cars of individuals.”

No context element is given, no explanation on what a panic shielded in the streets of his own capital. Obolon, very close to the center, is at the same time the theater of a murderous incursion of the Russian forces, prelude to the battle for Kiev engaged the same evening.

Then, a few minutes later: “What’s going on really in Ukrainian cities? We can check it in real time, away from the hysteria of the Western media”, says the presenter, while The image are displayed images of urban webcams: “This is Kiev, everything is quiet … Soumy, people in the street … and Kharkiv, nothing special …” In these cities of northern Ukraine, intense fighting Urban took place Thursday and Friday, involving bombings and shootings with a light weapon.

View of Moscow, the war in Ukraine is an invisible war. The contrast with the usual practice is siderer: the adage, barely humorous, wants Russian viewers to be more informed about what is happening in Ukraine (or the United States) than at home. Each event that occurs is dissected, discussed, subject to often outstanding comments … now, while this country is at the center of attention around the world, a form of restraint, or rather discretion, premium in Moscow: “The special military operation” must be similar to a simple routine.

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The war is not denied: the mid-day newspaper opens with the report of the staff. We evoke many “high precision strikes”, or even territorial gains and destruction of enemy material, but without the slightest mention of fighting. Only ground troops shown, very furtively there again, armored ones in the Kharkiv region, “warmly welcomed by the population”.

 The presenter information about Pervi Kanal (first chain ), the major Russian national television channel owned by the majority of the state, February 22.

The enemy? Absent. Evocating the control of the Chernobyl zone, a general explains that the threat posed “nationalist groups and other terrorist organizations” has been ruled out. This presentation echoes Vladimir Putin’s speech on Ukraine and its inhabitants, “taken hostage” by a “band of drug addicts and neonazis who took power in Kiev”, as the Kremlin leader reiterated Friday .

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/Media reports.