Popov invited Dmitri Abzalov, a political scientist from the Russian Center for Strategic Communication, to his show this week. He talked with him about the current situation in Russia and at the end of the discussion he stated that Russia is in the worst situation in the last 80 years. But first they talked about Crimea.
“The most painful problem at the moment is the supply of electricity in Crimea. It is clear that in the summertime temperatures change, production decreases and consumption increases, which leads to an energy deficit that needs to be compensated in some way,” said Abzalov.
He was followed by Popov, who recalled the Ukrainian attacks on Sevastopol, the largest city in Crimea. “There were attacks on Sevastopol last night. The local authorities promise to restore electricity supplies during the day. In some cities, this is already happening,” he said.
According to Abzalov, the most important thing is to ensure continuous operation of the energy system, because important processes related to the production of fuel depend on it. “It is high time to strengthen air defense there (on the Crimean peninsula),” he stated.
Slow progress
Both discussants then touched on Russia’s progress on the front line and the inability to effectively counter Ukrainian drone attacks at long range.
“Another point is the speed of the advance. During the negotiations with (US President Donald) Trump, the Ukrainian side emphasizes that the Russian advance is slowing down and the depth of the attacks is increasing,” Abzalov said.
“In order to somehow change it, we have to reduce the depth of the attacks or proceed faster,” he added, practically admitting that the Russian advance has slowed down and, on the contrary, the Ukrainian strikes are successful.
Popov then told him that the Russians should do “best of both”. “The problem is that there are risks and they are serious. This will probably be the worst summer in recent times,” admitted Abzalov. However, Popov sees it even more blackly. “Our country is going through the most difficult period in the last 80 years,” he said.
Successful attacks
In recent weeks, Ukraine has intensified attacks deep into Russian territory. It hit the Moscow oil refinery in the southeast of the capital twice. At the beginning of June, it struck St. Petersburg on the day when the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was starting in this city.
The most successful, however, are the Ukrainians with attacks on the Crimean peninsula, which is struggling with a lack of fuel, food and electricity.
Popov is a long-time presenter on the Russian state television Rossiya-1. He sometimes also hosts the 60 Minutes program with his wife, also a Russian propagandist, Olga Skabaevova.
Popov’s statement and his discussion with political scientist Abzalov were drawn to the attention of the Russia Media Monitor project, which was founded by Julia Davis, an American journalist of Ukrainian origin working for The Daily Beast. Davis is on the sanctions list of the Russian Federation.
