A screen shows Russian President Vladimir Putin giving a speech as troops line up in Red Square during a military parade on Victory Day in Moscow on May 9. (Kiril Kudryavtsev / AFP / Getty Images)
Two Russian reporters appear to have published at least 30 articles on the pro-Kremlin news site lenta.ru on Monday, criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and repressing critics of his government.
CNN reviewed the articles – which were downloaded almost immediately – some on the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany, others criticized the Russian leader for using Victory Day to justify his bloody attack on Ukraine.
Reporters Egor Polyakov and Alexandra Miroshnikova made several allegations in their articles, including that Russian defense officials were “lying to relatives” about those killed in the sinking of the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s flagship Moscow and accused Putin of starting one of the most the bloodiest wars. of the 21st century. “
“Putin and his circle are doomed to face a tribunal after the end of the war,” Polyakov and Miroshnikova told lenta.ru. “Putin and his aides will not be able to justify themselves or escape after losing this war.”
Polyakov and Miroshnikova are business editors at lenta.ru, a major pro-Kremlin Russian news site. The parent company of the store was recently bought by Russia’s Sberbank, which is subject to US sanctions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
CNN turned to the two reporters and lenta.ru for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
In early March, Russia’s parliament passed a law criminalizing what it considers a lie about Russia’s war in Ukraine. Violation of this law could result in a fine of 1.5 million rubles (about $ 21,467) or up to 15 years in prison. Putin and state media still call Ukraine’s full-scale ground war a “special operation.”
The independent Russian news site Mediazone published what he said was a statement by Polyakov and Miroshnikov after the articles appeared.
“Putin is a paranoid dictator,” they said. “Putin must go. He started a senseless war and is leading Russia into a trench. “
Polyakov and Miroshnikova not only publicly rejected the government’s line on the invasion, but also accused Putin from the start of lying about his intentions in Ukraine.
Putin has repeatedly lied about his plans for Russia in Ukraine, naming first one goal and then another.
They cited Putin’s call for “liberation of Donbass”, “denazification” and “demilitarization of Ukraine” as examples of what they described as hastily collected excuses for unnecessary war.
One of the articles in the duo’s Victory Day series focuses on what they described as a lie by Russian military families of sailors killed on the flagship Moscow. CNN previously reported alarmed Russian parents fighting for information about the fate of sailors aboard a ship that was sunk by two Ukrainian missiles sunk last month.
The article claims that the Russian navy may have circulated old images of the Moscow crew to suggest that more sailors escaped the ship unscathed than they actually did.
“The video of the Black Sea Fleet leadership and crew members released by the Ministry of Defense after the tragedy could have been archived, as a relative of the missing crew member actually recognized him in the video itself.
CNN could not confirm these allegations on its own.
Each article on lenta.ru began with the same urgent request under the title.
Disclaimer: This material has not been approved by the state, so the Presidential Administration will delete it … In other words: TAKEake a screenshot urgently or it has been deleted. ”
The duo also seems to have signed lenta.ru, saying: “We are looking for work, lawyers and possibly political asylum!”
“Do not be afraid, do not be silent,” they continued with an obvious call to action. “Resist! You are not one, you are many! The future is yours! … Peace for Ukraine! ”
Reports of criticism of the government in the Russian media are rare – especially since the war in Ukraine began in February. The last major journalistic show of dissent from the state media was when longtime Russian television editor Marina Ovsyanikova raised an anti-war caption during a live broadcast on Russia’s Channel 1 in March. She was arrested and fined 30,000 rubles.
Ovsyanikova is now reporting on a German newspaper from Russia and Ukraine
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