The All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VDTRK) spread publications from right-wing Western and Chinese media to convince internal audiences that the Russian army is winning the war with Ukraine.
According to the leaked emails of the company’s employees, this is reported by The New York Times.
China is promoting Russian propaganda to its people
One of the topics broadcast on Russian television is China’s support for Russia. Thus, VDTRK claimed that the Chinese Internet calls to support the Russian economy by buying Russian goods with the help of various mottoes.
“By buying a Russian candy, you can turn it into a bullet against Nazism,” one of the emails dedicated to China’s loyalty to Russia reads.
Russian propaganda also used the statements of Chinese officials and journalists to promote its legend about American Biolabs in Ukraine.
For example, in March 2022, VDTRK discussed the words of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian that the research work of American scientists is being conducted to create a mechanism for the covert spread of deadly pathogens.
Russia and China use manipulations to deceive people
Among the Western conservative sources, Russian media often exploited Fox News and Daily Caller. In the correspondence of the VDTRK employees, videos from little-known publications were also found, which allegedly talk about the negative consequences of sanctions for the United States.
Employees of the television company closely monitored the reaction to their content in other countries and exchanged instructions on what to do when blocking channels in the EU.
The publication also mentioned that Russian propagandist Dmitry Kiselev threatened the UK with a nuclear strike in May 2022. This speech caused a comprehensive reaction among Western media.
The truth is obvious. Most countries recognize that Russia lies in the media
The German magazine Stern called Russian television “a poisonous mixture of lies, hatred, and absurdity.”
NYT journalists note that the Russian propaganda machine’s work helped Vladimir Putin maintain support among the population. Western countries expected that the war in Ukraine would weaken the power of the Russian president.
“Even though the country is facing battlefield losses, rising casualties, economic isolation, and international condemnation, state TV channels are spinning a version of the war in which Russia is winning, Ukraine is in decline, and Western alliances are fraying,” the NYT wrote.
In total, VDTRK employs about 3500 people. The company operates such channels as Russia 1 and Russia 24 and promotes information on the Internet. According to analysts, VDTRK receives about $500 million yearly from the Russian government.
