Master of Puppets The Man Behind the Kremlin’s Control of the Russian Media The Proekt team in collaboration with OCCRP, June 5, 2019 Русская версия It is widely known that major Russian media outlets — especially television — are controlled by the government. But who actually manages the Kremlin’s grip? This is the story of Alexey Gromov, a former diplomat who has gained great influence and power as Vladimir Putin’s media puppetmaster.