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| BBC Monitoring January
2, 2006 The cut-off of Russian gas supplies to Ukraine was the lead story on all Ukrainian TV channels on the evening of 1 January. As Ukraine celebrated New Year's Day, its media had ignored the cut until evening, in contrast to Russia's demonstrative plans for live morning coverage of the event. Ukraine's only all-news 5 Kanal TV channel had not mentioned the gas halt until noon. Ukrainian coverage of the gas conflict was fairly neutral, with the tone being generally supportive of the Ukrainian government. All Ukrainian TV channels gave rather detailed accounts of the conflict in their evening news bulletins with the opinions of both sides being presented at length. All the broadcasts featured Gazprom spokesman Sergey Kupriyanov announcing the cut, blaming the failure of talks on Ukraine and accusing it of siphoning off Russian gas. His accusations were counterbalanced by statements by Ukrainian leaders: President Viktor Yushchenko, who dismissed Gazprom's price offer as "virtual" and therefore not negotiable, and Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov, who accused Russia of waging an "information assault" on Ukraine. Facts, Ukrainian perspectiveThe two most popular Ukrainian TV channels, privately-owned Inter and One Plus One, both had the gas conflict as No 1 on their news agenda. Inter started its 1800 gmt news bulletin with the words: "The gas standoff between Ukraine and Russia continued on the first day of the New Year." The introduction was followed by long correspondent's reports from gas pipeline control rooms both in Russia and Ukraine. One Plus One television in its 1730 gmt bulletin also presented facts, but highlighted some arguments in favour of Ukraine's position. Commenting on Kupriyanov's criticism of Ukraine supposedly refusing to play by market rules, the TV journalist said: "However, the Russians for some reason forget to mention that a switch to market condition has to affect not only the gas price but also the conditions of its transit to the West." The journalist also echoed Yekhanurov's words about a media attack on Ukraine by Gazprom: "A total disinformation campaign by Russia's Gazprom is in full swing at the moment as it alleges unauthorized siphoning of gas by Ukraine. The Slovak gas transport system, from which reports about decreased flows come, belongs to Gazprom, so it is impossible to check whether they are true." The television made the conclusion at the end of the report: "Ukraine has all reasons to appeal to the Stockholm court and the European community, which it will do shortly." Gazprom's "hysterics"Ukraine's state television UT1 devoted only three minutes of its 20-minute 1900 gmt news bulletin to the gas problem, but it was the lead story. The television pointed out with sarcasm that the cut-off was not much of a spectacle: "The show did not happen. At 1000 in the morning on 1 January, Russia promised to show Gazprom cutting off gas supplies to Ukraine. It turned out there was nothing to show, Gazprom representatives say. Gas transportation is a process which is impossible to videotape." Surprisingly, it was the opposition-leaning NTN TV channel that levelled the most scathing criticism at Russia. It described Kupriyanov's statements about Ukraine siphoning gas as "hysterics", adding that "considering the fact that it is still impossible to bypass Ukrainian territory, the Russians, just in case, have already raised a hullabaloo, alleging that Ukrainians are stealing gas". The correspondent noted that Kupriyanov and Russian ambassador Viktor Chernomyrdin were rather indiscriminate in making accusations against all of Ukraine rather than its gas monopoly Naftohaz Ukrayiny: "Chernomyrdin and Kupriyanov have lost any touch with reality and start thinking for some reason that Gazprom has relations not with Naftohaz Ukrayiny, but with the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers." NTN mocked Putin's last-minute compromise offer on New Year's Eve, defending Ukraine's rejection of it: "Is it really such a surprise that Naftohaz rejected an extended hand - because that hand was reaching into someone else's pocket?" "Gas war" turns into media warUkraine'e progovernment 5 Kanal television, in addition to its usual factual reporting on the hour, had some irony in its news headlines about Gazprom's stance. Throughout the evening some of the headlines were:
In its 1800 gmt new programme, 5 Kanal broadcast a long and very negative report about suspected human rights abuses and use of torture by Russian police and interior troops in the North Caucasus, in particular, in fighting rebels in Kabarda-Balkaria. The correspondent said: "Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan, South Ossetia, Kabarda-Balkaria - now this is a new area of instability on the broad and unfathomable expanses of Russia. Over the 11 years of fighting Chechen separatists, the Kremlin has not only failed by subjugate the rebel republic, but got into even more trouble. Almost all of the North Caucasus has turned into Chechnya." The report featured pictures of alleged torture victims, interviews with their relatives and human rights activists. |
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