Thursday, February 26, 2026 8:00:53 AM

On Tuesday, as Russia’s war against Ukraine crossed the four-year mark, Kremlin-controlled federal TV networks scrubbed any reference to the anniversary. Not a single on-air reminder of the conflict’s duration was broadcast. An operation initially conceived as a blitzkrieg against Ukraine has failed and turned into a grueling, protracted war, underscoring what the report describes as a grave miscalculation by Putin over Ukraine, reports the news outlet Agenstvo, whose journalists monitored Russian TV channels.

The contrast is especially stark compared with the early months of the invasion, when the narrative promised a swift, almost assured “victory.” Four years on, even acknowledging the timeline and outcomes has become an “awkward truth” for official television.

Even in segments formally tied to events in Ukraine and international reactions, channels avoided a key explanation: why this specific date was driving the day’s news. Reports aired, but without words that would inevitably remind viewers of the drawn-out war and its consequences.

Selective editing of quotes from foreign politicians reinforced the impression. Lines that directly referenced the nature and cost of the conflict were cut. Viewers were left with a daily picture missing its central point.

The silence reads as a response to the issue’s sensitivity inside Russia. A war planned as a blitzkrieg has become a long and exhausting conflict. Against that backdrop, the anniversary is no longer an occasion for bold statements but an informational risk.

Avoiding direct mentions appears aimed at steering attention away from questions viewers are bound to ask. In moments like this, the absence of words becomes the story.

(C)UAWIRE 2026