The eyes of the world are fastened on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, however in Russia itself it's a completely different story.
Russia's media is usually managed by the Kremlin, and plenty of media shops are owned by the federal government itself.
Strict new legal guidelines imply those that deviate from the official narrative may resist 15 years in jail.
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Within the official media, there's nonetheless a reluctance to state there's even a conflict happening, in accordance with UNSW Honorary Affiliate Professor Stephen Fortescue.
"It is nonetheless described as a particular operation," Dr Fortescue instructed 9news.com.au.
"And it is a particular operation to guard these separatist republics of Lugansk and Donetsk."
If you happen to had been watching Russian tv, you'd be beneath the impression that Russian troops weren't preventing on the frontlines.
As a substitute the Russian military was there to help the separatist fighters.
Bombings and battles in areas like Kyiv and Mariupol are getting little consideration on Russian tv.
"They get fairly hardcore propaganda which consists of 'The Ukrainian management are a bunch of fascists', or the Ukrainian persons are beneath the management of the fascist management," Dr Fortescue stated.
"There tends to be somewhat little bit of condescension in opposition to Ukrainians."
An impartial tv community and an impartial radio station have each shut down in current weeks.
Whereas many overseas information shops have been blocked in Russia, the web continues to be obtainable.
Meaning Russians may entry extra dependable information concerning the conflict in Ukraine, however they would want to search for it.
They're some in Russia who're publicly against the conflict, however there are additionally many others who're "hardcore patriots", Dr Fortescue stated.
"A big share of the inhabitants within the center who simply do not need to know," he stated.
"They only need to get on with their lives."
However the realities of conflict cannot be hidden without end.
Dr Fortescue was dwelling within the USSR the final time the nation engaged in a significant conflict - the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan from 1979 till 1989.
"I labored with bizarre Russian individuals, and so they had been actually upset their boys had been getting killed and so they had been being lied to," he stated.
"Russian authorities went to extraordinary lengths to cover the very fact these troopers had been being killed."
The harm wrought by Russia's assaults on civilian areas
As a lot as polling might be trusted in Russia, it doesn't seem Vladimir Putin is struggling simply but.
A ballot from non-government analysis organisation Levada-Heart confirmed Mr Putin had an approval ranking of 71 %, his greatest in 4 years.
One other ballot this week confirmed 58 % of Russians authorised of the invasion of Ukraine. Solely 23 % opposed it.