The main evening news programme on Russia’s state-run television was interrupted by a protester holding a poster against the war in Ukraine.
“NO WAR,†the sign read in English. Then, in Russian below: “Stop the war. Don’t believe the propaganda. They are lying to you.â€
The rare rare anti-war protest on Channel One – behind the show’s anchor – was brief as the feed abruptly changed cameras.
The OVD-Info website, which monitors political arrests, posted a video in which Ovsyannikova identified herself as an employee of Channel One and spoke against the war.
“What is going on now is a crime,†she said. “Russia is an aggressor country and Vladimir Putin is solely responsible for that aggression.â€
“Unfortunately, I’ve spent many of the last few years working for Channel One, doing Kremlin propaganda, and I’m deeply ashamed of this,†she said, according to a translation. “Ashamed that I allowed lies to come from the TV screen. Ashamed that I allowed the zombification of the Russian people.â€
“We Russians are thinking and intelligent people,†she added. “It’s in our power alone to stop all this madness. Go protest. Don’t be afraid of anything. They can’t lock us all away.â€