Visiting Pechenga, war propagandist Yevgeny Poddubny praises the naval infantry
Yevgeny Poddubny, a propagandist under heavy international sanctions for his role in the war of aggression against Ukraine, has paid a visit to Sputnik, a base for the naval infantry forces located near the border with Norway and Finland.
"All of the country knows about Sputnik," Poddubny said during his visit.
The man, who has produced countless propaganda reports for Russian state television, was shown around Sputnik, as well as other parts of the Pechenga district, by representatives of local authorities and the 61st Naval Infantry Brigade.
Reportedly, Poddubny’s main focus was on local military infrastructure and living conditions for soldiers. However, there was also another, more important underlying reason for the visit.
Poddubny, who has held key posts in the state company VGTRK for more than ten years, is aiming for a political career. He is on the ballot for Putin’s political party, United Russia, in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
It is no wonder, then, that the visit was widely covered in regional media. In a meeting with Murmansk Governor Andrei Chibis, the aspiring MP expressed his strong support for efforts aimed at improving living conditions for military families.
In a meeting with soldiers from the 61st Naval Infantry Brigade, Poddubny emphasised that "the enemy is attempting to undermine the State Duma elections."
"The adversary is making significant efforts to influence the domestic information landscape. This is being done to undermine the Russian public’s trust in the authorities and state institutions," he said.
Poddubny knows the art of propaganda like few others.
In his reports from the wars in Ukraine, Syria, and Georgia, the correspondent has expressed support for Russian war crimes and attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Following the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, Poddubny worked in occupied territories. In August 2024, he was seriously injured in an FPV drone attack against his car in the Kursk region.
That same year, he was appointed Deputy Director-General of VGTRK, a company that runs several media channels, including the Russia-1 and Russia-24 TV channels.
In December 2024, he was appointed a member of the General Council of the United Russia party, and on 28 June 2026, he was included in the top five candidates nominated by the party for the forthcoming State Duma elections.
Poddubny was added to the EU sanctions list in June 2023. According to the EU Council, he is "responsible for supporting and implementing actions and policies which undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine."
"Evgeniy Poddubny is a member of the working group established by President Putin in December 2022 that is tasked with coordinating the mobilisation efforts of the Russian Federation to support its war of aggression against Ukraine. Beyond his role in the working group, he works as a war correspondent for the Russian state broadcaster VGTRK, spreading disinformation and pro-Kremlin propaganda about the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine."
