Faces of russian propaganda in the TOT: vadim ivanov
The CCD continues its series of reports about key perpetrators of russian propaganda in the occupied territories of Ukraine. One such figure is vadim ivanov, the founder of the “Za!TV” television channel in occupied Melitopol, and a media manager from russia sent to the temporarily occupied territories (TOT).
ivanov arrived in Melitopol in the summer of 2022 with a team led by propagandist alexander malkevich, who established a centralized network of pro-russian media in the TOT to brainwash and russify the local population.
Before his work in the occupied territories, ivanov was employed by the russian state media holding VDTRK and served as deputy director general of the Novgorod regional television company starting in 2011, under malkevich’s leadership.
In Melitopol, ivanov helped organize a “personnel forge” for the media created by the occupiers among local youth. In interviews, he claimed that Melitopol “has always been russian” and portrayed “great prospects” for the city under occupation. His involvement extended to technical tasks at the TV channel, highlighting the lack of staff, as experienced local media professionals refused to collaborate with the occupiers.
Despite the PR surrounding his appointment, ivanov was quickly removed from his position after only a few months. Since then, his fate remains unknown, and he has disappeared from the media spotlight.
