Guests on a popular Russian state television programme have risked the wrath of Vladimir Putin by comparing the invasion of Ukraine to the Soviet Union's disastrous war in Afghanistan, calling it 'even worse'. The comments were made on the prime-time show 'An Evening with Vladimir Soloviev', hosted by a figure often described as Putin's propagandist-in-chief.
Academic Semyon Bagdasarov called for an end to the attack, warning that allies such as China and India could distance themselves from Moscow. 'Do we need to get into another Afghanistan, but even worse? There are more people and they're more advanced in their weapon handling,' he said. 'We don't need that. Enough already.' He added that if the situation becomes an 'absolute humanitarian disaster', even close allies would be forced to distance themselves.
Filmmaker and state pundit Karen Shakhnazarov also challenged the Kremlin's narrative that the conflict is a limited 'special operation' in the Donbass region, referencing attacks on Kyiv, which is hundreds of miles away. 'I have a hard time imagining taking cities such as Kyiv. I can't imagine how that would look,' he said, even as Russian troops close in on the capital.
The remarks came despite a new Russian law that threatens 15 years in jail for anyone publishing 'fake news' about the war, with the definition set by the government. Almost all independent media in Russia have closed down since the law was passed, leaving citizens reliant on state-controlled outlets that have been spreading disinformation about the 'special military operation' to 'de-Nazify' Ukraine.
