At least three Russian news anchors have resigned from state-run channels since Channel One employee Marina Ovsyannikova’s on-air protest against Putin’s war on Ukraine on Monday night, with more Russian TV personalities currently on “holiday.”
Zhanna Agalakova has quit her job at Channel One as Europe correspondent, according to the BBC.Two anchors at NTV, a state-run television channel, have also resigned. Lilia Gildeyeva announced her resignation on Tuesday. She has been with NTV since 2006, and was praised by Putin. “At first I left, I was afraid that they wouldn’t just let me go,”She told Ilya Varlamov, an independent Russian journalist, of Varlamov News. Vadim Glusker, who had been at the network for nearly 30 years, has also resigned.
The BBC reports that rumors are circulating that journalists might also leave Russia’s state TV group VGTRK.
Maria Baronova, RT editor, was one of the first to resign earlier in this month. Fox News, “I really think we’re on the brink of a nuclear war right now. I’m not exaggerating.”
Meanwhile, one of Russia’s biggest talk show hosts,Ivan Urgant,posted a black square on his Instagram account with the message: “Fear and pain. No War.”He added a post to reassure his followers. “No panic. They let me go on vacation, but I’ll take it and be back soon.”
BBC reports that Maxim Galkin, a Russian comedian, posted on Instagram. “There can be no justification for war! No War!”
Ovsyannikova has been fined 30,000 rubles for her protest and anti-war video, but may still face charges of violating Russia’s new rule forbidding any mention of the war that is not in line with Kremlin messaging.