A war ‘crime’: How the Russian press covered the invasion of Ukraine

What do Russians make of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine? The violence has been condemned around the world, and it seems that thousands of Russians who have taken to the streets on anti-war protests agree that Putin has gone too far. But some Russians continue to support their president, in spite of suggestions from abroad that he has ‘lost the plot’. The coverage in the Russian press of the first day of the invasion of Ukraine reflects the mixed feelings about the conflict. Here’s how Russian newspapers reacted to war in Ukraine:

Izvestiya

Izvestiya is one of Russia’s most widely-circulated broadsheet newspapers, with a focus on bringing business news to its readership. The paper’s stance is immediately clear with what it calls the ‘operation to protect the Donbass region’. Sounding optimistic, it said that, according to some experts, the war in Ukraine could be over in as little as five days.

The newspaper’s whole front page is devoted to Ukraine, telling readers not to withdraw money in haste and speculating how high the price of gas could go.