September 22, 2025

Russian propagandist Margarita Simonyan publicly confirmed on Sept. 22 that she is undergoing cancer treatment.

Simonyan, a 45-year-old Russian media executive and editor-in-chief of the Russian propaganda outlet RT, said on Sept. 7 that she has been diagnosed with a “serious illness” and is about to undergo surgery.

While she did not provide details on the nature of her sickness at the time, the Moscow Times previously reported that Simonyan has been diagnosed with cancer. A media industry source told the independent news outlet that Simonyan’s departure from RT is under consideration.

“I would gladly write that I am doing well, but I try never to lie,” Simonyan said on her Telegram channel on Sept. 22.

“Tigran (Keosayan) is still in a coma, and I am undergoing cancer treatment. What’s good about that? Soon, you will see me in wigs.”

Keosayan, Simonyan’s 59-year-old husband, propagandist, and film director, was hospitalized in December 2024 after suffering clinical death. He has been in a coma since then.

Simonyan is one of the most prominent faces of Russian state propaganda and has been sanctioned by the EU, U.K., U.S., and Ukraine.

Since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she has consistently voiced support for Russian aggression, denounced the 2022 anti-war protests in Russia, and spread false claims about the conflict to discredit Ukraine.

https://kyivindependent.com/russian-propagandist-simonyan-confirms-undergoing-cancer-treatment