Official position/function regarding the conflict

Dmitry Kiselyov is the TV presenter of VGTRK (Russia-24 and Russia-1), one of the most influential and well-known actors of information propaganda on Russian TV. Not only he appears on television himself, where he hosts the social and political broadcast Vesti Nedeli on Russia-1 TV channel, but he is also an official – he heads the international news agency Rossiya Segodnya, the largest state-owned media agency in Russia.

Kiselyov has repeatedly spoken aggressively in his broadcasts about Ukraine. The main position is Ukraine’s denial of independence, statehood, and legitimacy: “Ukraine is a project of the West,” “There is no Ukraine. Now it is a virtual concept, a virtual country, and a failed state” (May 2014). “Ukraine is a state of chaos, lawlessness, and absurdity” (2017). As media experts emphasize, this formula later became one of the main tools in the propaganda “manuals”.

Since 2015, Kiselyov has been under sanctions from Ukraine, Moldova, Switzerland, Canada, the United States, and EU countries. 

Interests/goals in the conflict region

As an actor of influence working on a Russian state television channel, Kiselyov defends the interests of the Kremlin in the region of the conflict: he aggressively criticizes the Ukrainian authorities, calls Ukraine “under-state,” and supports the separatists of ORDLO. Kiselyov’s crimes are calls for war, statements in support of Russia’s aggressive actions, justification of the separatists’ actions, and insults against Ukrainians.

Actions in relation to the conflict region

Kiselyov’s actions are expressed in aggressive propaganda against the people and the government of Ukraine, the spread of threats, disinformation, and fakes. Examples of fakes and intentional manipulations are:

• “In Sevastopol, the Americans were already planning their military base, and Poroshenko, who was expelled from Crimea weeks before the referendum, would obviously encroach on the peninsula and its inhabitants” (March 2019);
• “Ukraine is now probably the most dangerous place in the world for journalists…” (September 2016);
• A plot in Vesti Nedeli about the battles at Donetsk airport, where soldiers in uniform and with stripes of the Russian Armed Forces are clearly visible. At the same time, the behind-the-scenes journalist calls them “fighters of the armed forces of the “DPR” (January 2015);
• A plot entitled “Malignant mutation of Ukrainians” about the new date of the Day of the Defender of Ukraine, 14 October. The plot emphasizes that this is the date of the creation of the UPA. In this story, the UPA is presented in an absolutely negative light, in particular, it is said that the UPA is guilty of the destruction of the village of Khatyn.

Kiselyov also distorted information about Euromaidan and in the most serious way, which was reflected in the decision of the Russian Public Commission on Press Complaints.

Among his propaganda projects is the pro-Russian portal Ukraina.ru.

In general, signs of crimes may be seen in Kiselyov’s activities in accordance with the current articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: Art. 205.2 (Public calls for terrorist activities, public justification of terrorism or propaganda of terrorism), Art. 354 (Public calls for unleashing an aggressive war), Art. 282.1 (Incitement to hatred or enmity, as well as humiliation of the dignity of a person or a group of persons on the basis of gender, race, nationality…), Art. 280 (Public calls for extremist activities).