Russian Journalist Who Stormed News Set to Decry Ukraine Invasion Apologizes for Helping Promote Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine has been universally condemned by the European Union, members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and other western nations.

Even Putin's own citizens have shown up in droves to decry his escalation of tensions between Russia and the fledgling democratic nation that formed from the U.S.S.R.'s collapse in 1991. Thousands of Russians have protested in the streets, risking arrest to make their opposition heard.

One of the Russian citizens protesting the war, Marina Ovsyannikova, went viral for her demonstration. An editor for the state-friendly Channel One, she interrupted her own network's broadcast to condemn Putin's invasion and the network's flattering coverage of it.

Watch below.

Ovsyannikova's sign read in Russian:

"Stop the war. Don't believe the propaganda. Here they are lying to you." It is signed in English: "Russians against the war"

Ahead of the protest, Ovsyannikova recorded a video statement, detailing that her father is Ukrainian and her mother is Russian, and that "they have never been enemies."

She also apologized for her work at Channel One, according to a loose translation from human rights lawyer Natalia Krapiva, saying:

"Unfortunately, during these past years I have been working at Channel One, involved in Kremlin propaganda. I am very ashamed of this. Ashamed because I allowed lies to be told from the TV screen. Ashamed because I allowed the Russian people to be turned into zombies."

She went on to urge her fellow Russians to protest, reminding them "they cannot put us all in jail."

There's been a global outpouring of support for Ovsyannikova, including a message of thanks from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to her lawyers, Ovsyannikova went missing since being arrested by Russian authorities, but later resurfaced after a 14 hour interrogation..

There was widespread concern for her well-being, as there are decades of examples conveying the Putin regime's often violent retaliation against dissidents.

Social media users were moved by her statement, including the apology she issued for her role at the network, and praised her bravery.

UPDATE, 03/15/2022:

An earlier version of this article stated that Ovsyannikova was missing. After a 14 hour interrogation and Russian officials preventing her from speaking with lawyers, Ovsyannikova has since resurfaced, being released and fined.

She will make further comments on the situation tomorrow.