Russian state TV talking head with U.S. citizenship says FSB pressure forced him to leave Russia

Victor Olevich, a U.S. citizen who regularly appeared as an “expert” on Russian domestic propaganda talk shows, primarily on NTV, wrote in a Facebook post on April 8 that he had left the country under pressure from the FSB, adding that he had asked the U.S. authorities for help. According to Olevich, FSB officers had shown up at his Moscow home twice — in December 2025 and in early February this year — and directly threatened him with persecution.

He wrote:

“I left the territory of the Russian Federation under pressure from the Federal Security Service. Twice — in December and in early February — they came to my home with direct threats. The reasons were my refusal to cooperate and my refusal to obtain Russian citizenship. Pressure was applied despite the fact that I possess information sensitive to the state.”

As proof, Olevich published contact information for three alleged security service officers whom he said were involved in the pressure campaign. He said he is now in Greece and is seeking assistance from U.S. authorities.

The Insider was able to confirm that one of the phone numbers does in fact belong to Dmitry Konstantinovich Ushakov, an FSB employee. Another number belongs to Alexander Yevgenyevich Monaenkov, a former volunteer and member of the ruling United Russia party who is now an official in Moscow’s Strogino District.

On Russian television, Olevich was known as a regular commentator on U.S. affairs. In one program in 2021, he said he had moved from the United States to Russia “against his material interests.” As early as 2023, the authors of the Telegram channel Obyknovenny Tsarism (lit. “Ordinary Tsarism”) publicly denounced Olevich, recalling his phrase, “Victory means the swiftest possible end to the special military operation,” which they described as betrayal.

Born in Odesa in 1978, Victor Olevich graduated from the Russian studies department at Temple University in Philadelphia and moved to Moscow in 2010.

In 2023, Ukrainian national Yanina Sokolovska, who had also appeared on Russian propaganda talk shows, faced criminal prosecution and was forced to leave the country. Other prominent talking heads, most notably Sergei Markov and Tetiana Montian, have also faced pressure from the Kremlin.