Days after the sinking of the Russian warship, Moscow, questions remain

While carefully scripted TV news programs still use the “military operation” formula, the guests are raving about the chants that are trademarks of Russian TV talk shows. often shouted about “war”.

The even more angry tone than usual when discussing the sinking of the Moscow ship suggests that many commentators see Ukraine as guilty. Ignoring the official explanation that it caught on fire, for example, Vladimir Bortko, a film director and former member of the Duma, Russia’s Parliament, on Thursday said the attack on the ship should be treated as an attack. attack on Russia itself.

“The special military operation is over, it ended last night when our motherland was attacked,” he said, after asking other panelists to repeat what Russia calls war. . “The attack on our territory is casus belli, an absolute cause for war is real.” He suggested that countermeasures could include bombing the Ukrainian capital Kyiv; the transport network allows foreign dignitaries to visit; or something more sinister: “Bomb them once and that’s it.”

His rant about war brought advice from Olga Skabaeeva, host of the popular “60 Minutes” show, who said he was speaking amid NATO aggression against Russia. Some analysts argue that all talk of NATO attacks on Russia is aimed at creating the basis for a possible general mobilization of men – martial law is a necessary step before that and the declaration martial law requires war or is under threat.

So far, however, Russian news programs have not called events in Ukraine a war. They take their cues from the Defense Department briefings.

“It’s all about presidential administrations with their huge printers, there’s no difference of opinion,” said Vasily Gatov, a Russian media analyst based in the US. “They won’t risk interpreting reports from the Department of Defense.”

When it comes to Moscow, the Russian media has reported on the official version issued by the ministry and published on TASS, a state news agency. That version claims that a fire on board ignited an ammunition depot, severely damaging the Moskva, named after the Russian capital.