Russian state TV faces wave of resignations after journalist went on air to protest Ukraine war

Russian journalist Marina Ovsyannikova this week earned plaudits for going on TV during a Channel One news broadcast this week and holding up a sign denouncing Russia's war in Ukraine.

Ovsyannikova did this knowing she'd face severe punishment -- and at the moment, it looks like she could get more than a decade in prison for her actions.

BBC News reports that Ovsyannikova isn't the only Russian state TV journalist to resign from her position since the start of the Russian war, although she is the only one who has done so in such a public manner.

"Hours after Marina Ovsyannikova's on-screen protest, three resignations came to light," the BBC reports. "Channel One colleague Zhanna Agalakova quit her job as Europe correspondent while two journalists have left rival NTV. Lilia Gildeyeva had worked for the channel as a presenter since 2006 and Vadim Glusker had been at NTV for almost 30 years."

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And these resignations may not be the last ones, as the BBC notes that "rumors abound that journalists have also headed for the door at All-Russia state TV group VGTRK."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has struggled to completely squelch dissent against the war, as anti-war demonstrations have frequently broken out in Russia despite the threat of prison time for any citizen who speaks out against the war.

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