(MOSCOW) – Russian state television host Vladimir Solovyov has launched a scathing attack against Russian government officials, accusing them of incompetence and sabotage in supporting the war effort, in footage deleted from his broadcast.
Solovyov, a prominent Kremlin propagandist, directed his ire at unnamed deputy foreign ministers, regional officials and government employees whom he accused of undermining military operations through negligence and bureaucratic infighting. The host expressed particular fury at what he described as a “fifth column” operating within Russia’s state apparatus.
The rant, which aired on the “Full Contact” radio programme, saw Solovyov demand the introduction of criminal liability for individuals who share footage and photographs from the conflict zone. He singled out state employees whom he accused of leaking sensitive information “like drainage barrels” to settle internal corporate disputes.
“Why do we still not have a law introducing criminal liability for such activities?” Solovyov demanded. “Everyone understands that even global practice leads to such acts being considered crimes and punished not by fines but by criminal liability, yet we still do not do this.”
The presenter reserved particular contempt for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attacking what he called “heirs of Kozyrev” – a reference to Andrei Kozyrev, Russia’s first post-Soviet foreign minister – whom he accused of undermining state policy. He questioned why officials were making statements that contradicted the official line from the presidential administration.
“Explain to me what should happen in people’s heads,” Solovyov said, addressing the continued movement of fuel trucks painted in distinctive colours near frontline areas despite official warnings. “What must happen for them to stop this idiocy?”
Solovyov also criticised Russian television channels for maintaining entertainment programming that ignored the war entirely. “I look at our channel, I look at colleagues, and they have no war at all,” he said. “Some entertainment, ‘tynts-tynts’. There is no war at all. Everything is joyful.”
In remarks that became increasingly extreme, Solovyov called for the killing of Ukrainian officials, stating: “For them, we are orcs. There can be no negotiations with them. The dead do not negotiate.” He described Ukraine as a “terrorist state” and demanded the destruction of “all Nazis in power” within the country.
The presenter invoked Soviet intelligence methods, calling for a return to “Sudoplatov’s methods” – a reference to Pavel Sudoplatov, the Soviet intelligence officer who oversaw assassination operations. “If someone does not know, does not know how, get out,” Solovyov declared. “Make room for those who know and know how.”
Solovyov concluded by praising the Russian people as “wise” and “great Christian people,” referencing a new cathedral in Yekaterinburg which he described as “an icon in stone” in a city that was “recently a city of demons.”
The comments appeared to have been partially deleted from the original broadcast. The footage was released by Russian Media Monitor, which tracks Kremlin propaganda, on August 5, 2026.
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