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Russian Propaganda Network Expands with New “Local” TV Channel in Kyrgyzstan
A new television channel launching in Kyrgyzstan appears to be a thinly veiled extension of Russian state media, according to media watchdogs and experts. Nomad TV, while presenting itself as a local Kyrgyz outlet, has direct links to RT (formerly Russia Today), the Kremlin’s international propaganda network.
The channel has been aggressively recruiting journalists from established Kyrgyz media organizations by offering substantially higher salaries than local outlets can match. According to reporting by Radio Azattyk, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Kyrgyz service, several journalists have already left prominent Kyrgyz news organizations to join the new venture.
At the helm of this recruitment effort are former editors from Russia’s state media agency Sputnik. Sputnik Kyrgyzstan’s editor-in-chief, Erkin Alymbekov, has taken a senior position at Nomad TV, while his wife, Svetlana Akmatalieva, a journalist from Kyrgyzstan’s state broadcaster, has been training new hires.
“Local outlets simply can’t compete with large media coming in from outside,” said Ilyazbek Baltashev, director of Channel 7 and head of the Union of Journalists of Kyrgyzstan. Baltashev confirmed that his organization has lost staff to Nomad TV and noted that while the channel’s financing remains officially unclear, he had “heard that the funding will come from Russia.”
Perhaps most revealing is the appointment of Anna Abakumova as Nomad TV’s producer. Abakumova is a Russian journalist who previously worked for RT and is described by Radio Azattyk as a protégé of RT’s long-time editor-in-chief, Margarita Simonyan. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, Abakumova produced reports from Russian-occupied territories, including the devastated city of Mariupol.
Political scientist and media expert Ruslan Akmatbek told Radio Azattyk: “Simonyan is one of the key ideologists of Russian propaganda. If they’re bringing in her assistant, it seems they’re taking advantage of our free information environment, and perhaps hoping to extend that reach to neighboring countries as well.”
Nomad’s strategy appears calculated to circumvent regional skepticism of direct Russian messaging. “They know we’re not open to information that comes directly from Russia. So they’re trying to present themselves as a local outlet,” Akmatbek explained.
Sources told Radio Azattyk that journalists hired by Nomad are being trained at the Evrazia Center, an autonomous nonprofit founded in Russia earlier this year. The organization runs projects across multiple sectors and provides grants to journalists and bloggers.
According to Simonyan, who sits on the nonprofit’s board of trustees, Evrazia was founded by fugitive Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor. Russian State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin also serves as a board member. The organization has launched numerous initiatives in Kyrgyzstan, including journalism courses, school bus donations, recreational park construction in Bishkek, and discount shops for low-income residents.
“As far as I know, the Evrazia organization conducts media training for journalists and students. Its ties to Russia are obvious,” media expert Asel Sooronbayeva told Radio Azattyk. “It’s also clear that they bring journalists to Russia for training.”
While Kyrgyzstan hosts bureaus of many international media organizations—including Radio Azattyk, the BBC, and outlets from Germany, China, and Turkey—Russian media continues to dominate the country’s information landscape.
Experts see Nomad TV as part of Russia’s broader strategy to maintain influence in Central Asia, especially as Moscow’s relationships with other former Soviet states deteriorate. “What we’re seeing is part of an information war,” Akmatbek said. “They believe that by spreading Kremlin propaganda through their own channels—and then through local media—they can secure full influence in Kyrgyzstan.”
This media expansion comes as Central Asian leaders increasingly diversify their international relationships, building stronger ties with China, Turkey, and Western countries. “We know Russia spends enormous sums on propaganda, and launching a local TV channel is part of that strategy,” Akmatbek explained. “It’s a way to ensure they keep their hold on us for a long time.”
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8 Comments
This is deeply concerning. Kremlin-backed media outlets have a long history of peddling disinformation and undermining local, independent journalism. It’s crucial that Kyrgyzstan’s citizens are able to access reliable, unbiased information from domestic sources.
Agreed. The aggressive hiring tactics used by Nomad TV to recruit journalists from established Kyrgyz media are particularly troubling. This threatens to erode the country’s media landscape and undermine its democratic institutions.
The ability of large, well-funded media outlets to poach talent from smaller, local organizations is a common challenge for developing media landscapes. Kyrgyzstan will need to find ways to support and protect its independent press if it hopes to maintain a diversity of voices and perspectives.
While I’m not surprised to see Russia expanding its propaganda efforts in the region, it’s disappointing to see Kyrgyzstan’s media environment potentially being compromised in this way. Maintaining a free and independent press is crucial for any democracy.
Absolutely. Kyrgyzstan has made important strides in recent years to strengthen its democratic institutions, and this development threatens to undermine that progress. It will be important for the international community to closely monitor the situation and support efforts to safeguard media freedom in the country.
I’m curious to learn more about the specific links between Nomad TV and Russia’s state media apparatus. What evidence do watchdogs and experts have that this is a thinly veiled extension of RT and other Kremlin propaganda networks?
That’s a good question. The article mentions the involvement of former Sputnik editors, which is certainly concerning. It would be helpful to see more detailed reporting on the ownership structure and funding sources behind Nomad TV to better understand its true nature and intentions.
This news highlights the ongoing battle between authoritarian regimes and democratic societies for control of the narrative. Russia’s efforts to expand its propaganda reach are a serious threat to the integrity of information and the health of Kyrgyzstan’s public discourse.