Stringent media censorship in Russia
In Russia, within just a few days the already very one-sided media landscape has been brought completely under the Kremlin's control. Any reports or commentaries on the armed forces and the operations in Ukraine that deviate from the official version are banned. The few critical outlets that remained such as Echo of Moscow and TV Dozhd were first blocked and then shut down. Other media are partly bowing to the pressure in order to survive.
Putin's parallel world
Putin's media outlets are telling Russians a very different story about this war, Corriere della Sera explains:
“Bombed cities with burning fuel depots and the civilian population fleeing the country. Russians also know that these things are happening. But not in Kyiv, Mariupol or Kharkiv. No, the cities under fire are in the separatist republics of the Donbass ... Accordingly, the Russian soldiers sent across the border are involved in humanitarian operations, while some 'special forces' are using only the most precise weapons to target military installations in the hands of the extremists led by the 'drugged fascist' Volodymir Zelensky, who is illegally occupying the president's chair.”
Independent journalists need asylum
ERR Online calls for ex-employees of Dozhd and Echo of Moskow to be given media shelter in the West:
“Putin is waging war on two fronts. His moves are also directed against Russian society. The first victims of the extensive internal security operation were the last independent media outlets Echo of Moscow and Dozhd. They would not have been closed down if the dictator were not afraid of the truth. Russians also have a right to the truth. Yes, the Russian people share responsibility for everything, but they can only truly be responsible if they receive adequate information - preferably from their fellow citizens.”