Two Years of War and the Future of Exiled Russian Journalism

February 2024 marks two years of war in Ukraine.

This war has been fought not only on the battlefield — both inside Russia and abroad, Kremlin propaganda pushes its agenda 24/7.

Independent Russian journalists have been jailed, fined, and forced out of the country for telling the truth about the war. Amsterdam has become a significant hub for Russian journalists in exile.

With no end in sight to this devastating war, what is the future of Russian journalism in exile? And what does the future hold for the war?

Revisit The Moscow Times' sold-out event dedicated to exploring these questions, featuring a keynote address by Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema and conversations with Ukrainian-Russian filmmaker Alexander Rodnyansky and his son, Ukrainian presidential adviser Alexander Rodnyansky Jr.; former Channel One journalist Marina Ovsyannikova; and British investigative journalist John Sweeney.

Moderated by Dutch journalist and television presenter Twan Huys.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema gave a touching address in support of Evan Gershkovich, our former colleague who has been unjustly held in Russian prison since March 2023.

Ukrainian-Russian filmmaker Alexander Rodnyansky and his son, Ukrainian presidential adviser Alexander Rodnyansky Jr., spoke about the current reality of the war from Ukraine's perspective alongside The Moscow Times' founder Derk Sauer.

Marina Ovsyannikova, a former journalist for Russian state broadcaster Channel One, discussed how her now-famous protest against the war on live television has changed her life and her work.

British journalist John Sweeney discussed his work covering the war from Kyiv and recounted how his doorstepping of Putin in 2014 nearly ended in disaster.

The Moscow Times' publisher Alexander Gubsky, The Guardian's Russia and Ukraine correspondent Pjotr Sauer and TV Rain anchor Mikhail Fishman spoke about the dilemmas faced by independent Russian journalists in exile as Russia becomes increasingly repressive and global attention toward the war fades.