Kremlin Reportedly Urges Russian Media to Avoid Mentioning 100 Day Mark of Ukraine Invasion
Sergei Guneyev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images
The Kremlin has reportedly urged Russian state media not to “draw attention” to the 100th day of Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, which state propagandists continue to insist on describing as a “special operation.”
Meduza, a Latvia-based news publication, quoted a source inside Russia’s “presidential administration,” saying state media has been told, “Focusing on dates related to the war can make Russians think about the goals and success of the invasion.”
Friday is the 100th day of Russia’s deadly onslaught into Ukraine, which has so far cost Putin an estimated 30,000 soldiers. Ukraine says it is currently losing 60 to 100 soldiers a day defending the eastern part of the country.
“When talking about a round date, questions always arise: what has been achieved by this date? It has been like this since Soviet times, when there were five-year plans, plans for them, and so on. It turns out that there is almost nothing to present by this date. We can say that some areas have been taken, but their name does not tell people anything. Is it a lot or a little? Are the goals of the “operation” close or not yet?” the source is quoted as saying.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remotely addressed the parliament of Luxembourg on Thursday and said that Russia now occupies a fifth of Ukraine, “with battle lines stretching more than 1,000 kilometers,” reported local media.
Russian state media has cracked down on dissent since the beginning of the conflict on February 24th and most independent news organizations in the country have since shuttered and their top journalists have been forced to flee the country.
