Sunbathing with the enemy: Meet the Kremlin propagandists who vacation in Europe despite demonizing the West on air

Kuzichev's admiration for Western locales does not stop him from aggressively promoting anti-Western rhetoric on the air and through his social media accounts. Here's what he wrote on Telegram about French President Emmanuel Macron in February:

“So, I see Macron opened his mouth again. He says those scary Russians are threatening all of Europe, cooperating with Iran and North Korea, ‘attacking European interests in Africa(?) and being very, very aggressive in space(!).’ He’s worried… Look how he behaves. He cracks these idiotic jokes that amuse the people in the room. They giggle. And all this as Vladimir Putin is speaking — laying out Russia’s position. These are the most serious matters. Putin is speaking firmly about those currently in power in Kyiv. Three days later, the special military operation begins... And this lispy little man is cracking jokes.”

Kuzichev also spread a fake story claiming that a napkin on Macron’s table was actually a packet of cocaine. Yet when Kuzichev finds a few days to take a break from his crusade against the West he heads to — you guessed it — Paris.

Kuzichev is not alone in his fondness for France. Other Kremlin propagandists who frequent the country include:

• Marina Danielyan, chief of staff to the CEO of Channel One
• Larisa Krymova, head of public relations and internet broadcasting at Channel One
• Alexander Fayfman, first deputy CEO of Channel One
• Marina Kataya, deputy executive producer at NTV
• Sergey Burygin, deputy CEO of REN TV
• Yulia Bystritskaya, CEO of TV Center
• Oleg Volnov, deputy CEO of Channel One for political programming
• Gennady Gokhshtein, deputy CEO of VGTRK
• Alexei Yefimov, CEO of Channel One’s international division
• Vadim Takmenyov, deputy executive producer at NTV
• Anatoly Tupitsyn, executive producer at LLC AKCEPT (the legal name of REN TV)
• Igor Ugolnikov, CEO of the VoenFilm Studio
• Darya Khubova, executive producer at Vremya (Channel One's main evening newscast)
• Pyotr Shepin, commercial director at Channel One
• Alexander Yakovenko, deputy director of news at NTV
• Nailya Asker-Zade, television host and media personality