How the Kremlin Guides State Media to Cover Events in Nagorno-Karabakh: Meduza

Meduza has obtained a manual detailing how the Kremlin directs state media on covering events in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The manual was sent on the evening of September 19 by the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation to employees of state and Kremlin-affiliated media outlets. It suggests blaming Armenia and Western countries for the escalation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The focus should be on the fact that "the Armenian leadership has recognized Azerbaijan's sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh," and as confirmation of this thesis, the Kremlin advises citing statements made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in October 2022.

The manual states, in particular, that "most likely, the Prime Minister of Armenia was prompted to make this statement by Western 'partners' who should fully share the responsibility for the consequences with him. The decision of the Armenian leadership, which fundamentally changed the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, signaled Azerbaijan to act, and now Baku perceives the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as its internal affair."

According to Meduza, the Kremlin advises characterizing the status of Russian peacekeepers as "observational," while employees of pro-government media should discuss the peacekeepers' assistance in the evacuation of citizens.

The authors of the manual separately recommend noting that people are finding "shelter" in the Orthodox church located on the base of the Russian peacekeeping contingent.