Russian state TV whistleblower: 'We were told war would be over in 2 weeks'

Ellen Manning

Fri, March 25, 2022

Russian journalists were told the invasion of Ukraine would be over in two weeks, a media whistleblower has revealed. (Getty)

Russian state journalists were told the invasion of Ukraine would be over in two weeks, according to a media whistleblower.

Speaking anonymously to ITV News, a journalist for the Russia 1 television channel said they were initially told the war would be over by 8 March, then they would be able to go back to their "normal work".

But a week after that date passed, Russian security chiefs admitted that the conflict was not going "as fast as we would like".

Russian invasion of Ukraine - territory believed to be controlled by Russia. (PA)

The journalist's comments come as Russian efforts to take Ukraine continue to stall, a month after the invasion.

On Friday, a Ministry of Defence (MoD) intelligence update said Ukrainian forces were reclaiming key towns and positions up to 21 miles (35km) east of Kyiv as Russian forces lose ground.

Speaking to ITV News, the Russia 1 journalist said: "We expected the war to go on for one week.

"Our manager told us it would be over by 8 March and then we could return to our normal work on musical and dance programmes."

Read more: UK armed forces unable to 'stand up to enemy' in event of another world war

Ukrainian forces are managing to hold off Russian troops, despite predictions of an early victory. (Reuters)

But the journalist said a week after 8 March came and went, Viktor Zolotov, a member of Russia’s national security council admitted that "not everything is going as fast as we would like".

The anonymous journalist is the latest media whistleblower to speak out.

In a high profile protest, journalist Marina Osvyannikova interrupted a live broadcast carrying a placard that read "they are lying to you here".

In a video recorded prior to her protest, she said she was "ashamed" to be working for "Kremlin propaganda".