Russian media shaken as Ukraine strikes and Moscow seeks help

Most of the topics dominating Russia’s media landscape this week were directly related to military developments.

According to TodayPress TV, drone attacks launched by Ukraine and defensive measures against them have been at the forefront of coverage across major television channels, online news portals and newspapers.

Mass drone attacks on various Russian regions were reported on several consecutive nights during the week. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, 399 Ukrainian drones were shot down on the night of October 8 and another 505 on the night of October 9.

The attacks affected Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga, Kursk, Voronezh, Tver and Tambov regions, the Moscow region, Krasnodar Krai, Crimea and other areas. In some cases, residential buildings, a kindergarten, a factory and even Yandex’s data centre were damaged. Four people were reported killed in Belgorod Region, while injuries were reported in several other regions. Temporary restrictions were imposed at several airports.

At the same time, Russian military strikes on targets in Ukrainian territory also received extensive coverage. The Defence Ministry reported the results of eight large-scale strikes carried out during the week, claiming that energy facilities, logistics infrastructure and military installations had been put out of action.

President Vladimir Putin’s activities also featured prominently on the political agenda. On October 5, Teachers’ Day, he met with teachers and spoke about the importance of their profession. On October 8, he travelled to Turkmenistan and attended the summit of CIS heads of state. The possibility of a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump and prospects for peace talks were also discussed.

Economic coverage included reports on rising oil prices, the draft budget and conditions in the domestic market.

Turkan Isgandarli