Support The Moscow Times!

Russian TV Presenter Punched Live on Air at Paratrooper Celebrations

Screenshot / ntv.ru

A reporter working for the pro-Kremlin NTV television channel was attacked live on air on Wednesday during annual Paratroopers Day celebrations.

Just moments after Nikita Razvozzhayev began his live broadcast, he was approached by what appeared to be a heavily intoxicated man who was swearing heavily saying: 

“We’ll take Ukraine, [expletive].”

 When the presenter asked him to be quiet, the man then punched him in the face, saying: “Who are you to talk to me in that way."

The live broadcast promptly cut back to the studio, showing a taken aback anchor.

The incident occurred in Moscow’s Gorky park, where annual Paratroopers Day celebrations are typically held.

Razvozzhayev was describing the paratroopers as heroes in the moments leading up to his being attacked. “No one celebrates their day like them,” he said.

The Moscow branch of the Interior Ministry promptly responded to the incident saying the man who attacked the reporter had never been a member of the Russian Armed Forces.

The attacker has also been detained, the ministry’s press service told the Moskva city news agency.

The man who attacked the reporter was wearing a shirt featuring the emblem of a pro-Russian group involved in the war in Ukraine.

One of the group's leaders, Alexander Zakharchenko, has acted as the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic since 2014.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more