An employee at a major Russian state television network went viral on Monday after she interrupted a live broadcast of one of the country’s most-watched programs to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Now, her lawyer can’t find her, CNN reports.
The employee, identified as Channel One editor Marina Ovsyannikova, ran into the set during the live broadcast with a sign reading “No War” in English rushed onto the set standing behind the anchor and chanted in Russian, “No to war! Stop the war!”
Her sign read in Russian, “Stop the war! Don’t believe propaganda! They’re lying to you here!” with “Russians against war” written in English.
Ovsyannikova also released a video statement before her stunt to denounce Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“What’s happening in Ukraine is a crime and Russia is the aggressor. And there is only one person responsible for this, this man is Vladimir Putin,” Ovsyannikova said in Russian. “My father is Ukrainian, and my mother is Russian, they have never been enemies, and this necklace is a symbol – that Russia must immediately stop this war and our brotherly nations can still come together.”
“Sadly, I’ve been working on the First Channel during last couple of years, have been doing Kremlin propaganda, for which now I am very ashamed,” Ovsyannikova said. “I am ashamed that I let lies be spread on television, I’m ashamed that I participated in turning Russian people into zombies, we kept quiet when it all started in 2014, we did not rally when Kremlin poisoned Navalny, we have silently been watching this anti-human regime, and now, the whole world turned back to us, next 10 generations will not be able to get rid of the shame of this war.”
According to CNN, Ovsyannikova was reportedly arrested by government agents shortly after the incident and has vanished.
Watch the videos below:
Apparently, a woman just ran onto the stage during a Russian state television news broadcast with a sign that said, “Stop the war! Don’t believe propaganda! They’re lying to you here!” pic.twitter.com/nn5XWsh4Wn
— Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) March 14, 2022
Перед акцией в прямом эфире Овсянникова записала видео с извиниениями за участие в пропаганде и требованием остановить братоубийственную войну. pic.twitter.com/UwGh9ymW3K
— SOTA (@SotaVision) March 14, 2022
