Kathrine Frich
State-controlled messaging plays a central role in shaping public opinion inside Russia.
Television, online platforms, and political talk shows reinforce the Kremlin’s narrative on global events.
Commentators and media figures often act as key voices in promoting official positions and framing the country’s stance to both domestic and international audiences.
But in some cases, those same figures who once echoed the state line are now finding themselves at odds with the system they helped amplify.
Sudden departure
Viktor Olevitch, a regular commentator on Russian state television, said he has left the country after what he described as pressure from the Federal Security Service (FSB), according to The Moscow Times cited by Hotnews.
“I left Russia under pressure from the Federal Security Service. They came to my house twice in December and early February with direct threats. The reasons were my refusal to cooperate and my refusal to obtain Russian citizenship,” he wrote on Telegram.
He said he is now in Athens, Greece.
Appeal to washington
In a message written in English, Olevitch called on US authorities to intervene.
“Please inform the United States Department of State of the situation and request assistance. I am a US citizen,” he wrote.
He also claimed to possess “sensitive” information and shared contact details he said belonged to FSB officers.
Long time insider
Olevitch, an American citizen originally from Odesa, had lived in Russia for 16 years after moving there in 2010.
During that time, he became a frequent guest on political talk shows and contributed to pro-government outlets including Vzglyad, Izvestia, and Komsomolskaya Pravda.
He was often presented as an expert linked to the Center for Current Policies.
Pro-kremlin voice
In his appearances, Olevitch supported Russia’s war in Ukraine and frequently accused Western countries of hostility toward Moscow.
He previously argued that “the British, Germans, and Americans set the two largest Slavic peoples, Russians and Ukrainians, against each other for their own purposes.”
He also claimed that “the level of anti-Russian sentiment in the West is so high” that Western societies were willing to make sacrifices to harm Russia.
Olevitch did not provide further details about the alleged threats or why he was targeted.
Sources: The Moscow Times, Hotnews.
