The Ukraine war is discussed for hours on Russian television every night, often fueled by a hostile attitude toward the West – and disinformation abounds.
The last to make sensational statements is the presenter of the state-owned Rusiga-1 TV and the host of the political talk show “60 Minutes”, Olga Skabijeva.
She claims that the British have gained a taste for a new – and somewhat unusual – animal.
– It was revealed today that some restaurants in what was once Great Britain will start serving squirrels, she said during a live broadcast.
– Since there are a lot of animals in the parks, why don’t you eat them – because the country has a shortage of food? I continued.
She also claims that all this is due to Britain’s support of Ukraine, and thus the country found itself in economic distress.
– Skapijeva said that they eat squirrels, but they will still contribute artillery and howitzers.
Putin’s strategic dilemma
The session was widely shared on Twitter – Also by the advisor in the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior, Anton Gerashchenko.
Many make fun of it, myself included UK Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Symons.
– One passage suggests that squirrels will start coming as guests in restaurants, rather than on the menu, she says.
hint of truth
There is no food crisis in Britain, Skabijeva describes. However, there has been a sharp increase in food prices – an increase of 17.1 percent last year. This may lead to a shortage of vegetables and fruits in the coming weeks.
Analysis firm Kantar is following the effects closely and does not believe, however, that rationing measures, where stores put a cap on how much one can buy of a single item, will affect consumers.
NRK He also writes that Skabejeva’s plan may have been inspired by a recent environmental campaign:
Just over a week ago The Exmoor Squirrel Project has launched a campaign in the UK to conserve red squirrels in the wild. And it requires reducing the number of gray squirrels in a humane way, because they are better at finding food, take up more space and can withstand a virus that kills red squirrels, they believe, according to the channel that discussed the matter. The first in Norway.
So the organization wants people to set traps on their properties, and for restaurants to start serving dishes with squirrel meat in them.
However, this is far from the case, and Skabijeva’s version, in this case, is severely distorted.
A big surprise
Blacklisted
Previously written by Dagbladet That Skabijeva is often described as “Putin’s propagandist on TV” and “Putin’s iron puppet”.
NUPI researcher and Russian expert Jakub Gudzimirsky explained:
She was known in light of her role, and opinions were divided about her. What sets her apart as a journalist, if you can call it that, because she’s basically pure publicity, is that she’s very aggressive in her looks.
Skabijeva is among those who have been worn EU sanctions list After the outbreak of the war, with the following justifications:
“With her husband, Evgeny Popov, she hosts Russia’s most popular political talk show, ‘60 Minutes,’ where she spreads anti-Ukrainian propaganda and promotes a positive attitude towards the annexation of Crimea and the actions of separatists in Donbass.”
“Coffee trailblazer. Certified pop culture lover. Infuriatingly humble gamer.”
