“It’s Military Censorship:” Russia Shuts Down TV Rain

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: I need to ask you the very first question —

TIKHON DZYADKO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, TV RAIN: Hello. Thank you for having me.

AMANPOUR: — because we’re just hearing the news that the Russian prosecutor general’s office is trying to get you — trying to close you down. What can you tell us about that? What have they told you?

DZYADKO: Well, that’s correct. And I’m very pleased to announce this information to the audience of CNN that I just got information, the information from Russian prosecutor’s office that they are shutting down the website of TV Rain. Also, they are shutting down the website of Radio Echo of Moscow. It is one of the most popular and independent radio stations in Moscow. Also, they turned off the radio. I think it — maybe we were expecting something like this because what we are experiencing now here, it is a military censorship. That’s the only word I could find to explain what is going on.

AMANPOUR: So, let’s talk just about that military censorship because, indeed, they have said to you, the government, on to all the Russian press that you cannot use the word invasion, you cannot use the word war.

DZYADKO: That’s correct.

AMANPOUR: Tell me what rules they’ve set for most of the other press.

DZYADKO: Well, it’s absurd. Like we have a military censorship, but we don’t have a war. Because the Russian government and Vladimir Putin and Russian state TV, they are using words special military operation, like it’s not a big deal. Like it is just a small special operation. And what they ask from media, what they tell to media to do is to use only information from Russian Defense Ministry. Of course, we as other independent and normal media, we are using information from Russian Defense Minister, but as well we are getting information from Ukraine Defense Ministry, from Ukrainian president, from politicians all over the world. And that’s why they are so angry with us. They don’t want us to spread real information about deaths among civilians, about deaths among Russian soldiers and then about all this terrible war, which is happening now in Ukraine. And it’s a real war. It’s not a special military operation, as they say.