"It was a mistake, no malicious intent." Dozhd CEO Natalya Sindeeva asked fired presenter Alexei Korostelev to return to the channel

The general director of the Dozhd TV channel, Natalya Sindeeva, called on the presenter Alexei Korostelev, who was fired because of a phrase about helping the Russian military, to return to Dozhd.

Sindeeva apologized to Korostelev. She said that he was fired "for a mistake" and that the decision to fire him was "mean" towards the host.

Sindeeva also called for the return to Dozhd of hosts Margarita Lyutova (she also works as a special correspondent for Meduza) and Vladimir Romensky , whodecided to leave in protest against the dismissal of Korostelev.

"Lesha, Rit, Romensky, guys - come back to Dozhd. It was a mistake, no malicious intent. It was a very bad mistake. Ukrainians may not forgive us for this, but it was a mistake. People make mistakes," Sindeeva said.

• Alexey Korostelev was fired because on December 1, when suggesting that Dozhd viewers inform the channel about mobilization, he said: "Many of the stories written to our email and Telegram bot are published. And we hope that we were able to help many servicemen, including with equipment and just basic amenities at the front."
• Ukrainian activists and bloggers spoke out against Dozhd. In Latvia, where the channel received a broadcasting license and where its editorial office is located, an investigation was launched. Dozhd editor-in-chief Tikhon Dzyadko apologized for Korostelev's phrase. On December 2, it was announced that the presenter had been fired. He himself stated that he was not against the dismissal if it would help avoid the channel's closure.
• On December 6, Latvia's National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) announced that it was revoking Dozhd's broadcasting license due to this and other cases. The channel, which was blocked in Russia shortly after the war began and received a license in Latvia in June, will stop broadcasting in the country on December 8. Dozhd said it would continue to operate on YouTube. The journalists called the accusations against them "unfair and absurd."