A Russian TV presenter apologized on Monday for calling for Ukrainian children to be drowned, as Russia’s state Investigative Committee said it was probing his remarks.
In a show last week on state-controlled broadcaster RT, presenter Anton Krasovsky said Ukrainian children who saw Russians as occupiers under the Soviet Union should have been “thrown straight into a river with a strong current” and drowned.
Ukraine said on Sunday that RT was an inciter of genocide and should be banned worldwide. Margarita Simonyan, the channel’s editor-in-chief, said she had suspended Krasovsky because of his “disgusting” comments, adding that no one at RT shared his views.
Krasovsky said in a social media post he was “really embarrassed.”
“Well, it happens: you’re on air, you get carried away. And you can’t stop. I ask for the forgiveness of everyone who was stunned by this,” he said.
’SHARP STATEMENTS’
State television, heavily controlled by the Kremlin, has been a vocal cheerleader of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, often calling on President Vladimir Putin to take an even more aggressive approach to the war. But Krasovsky’s comments appeared to have crossed a line for the authorities.
The Investigative Committee, which handles serious crimes, said it had been asked to look into his “sharp statements” and had ordered a report.
Krasovsky is a pro-war commentator on Russian television who has been sanctioned by the European Union. In last week’s show, he also talked about shoving children into huts and burning them, and joked about the rape of Ukrainian women.
“Governments which have still not banned RT must watch this excerpt,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter, linking to a clip of the interview. He said Ukraine would put Krasovsky on trial for “aggressive genocide incitement.”
In a statement on RT’s website, Simonyan said: “For the children of Ukraine, as well as the children of Donbas, and all other children, I wish that all this ends as soon as possible, and they can live and study in peace again – in the language they consider native.”
Russian TV presenter says sorry but faces probe for call to drown Ukrainian children
Russian TV presenter says sorry but faces probe for call to drown Ukrainian children
5 artists named on 2026 Ithra Art Prize shortlist
DUBAI: Five artists from across the Arab world were announced this week as winners of the seventh edition of the Ithra Art Prize, marking a shift in the format for the one of the region’s most established contemporary art awards.
For the first time, the shortlisted artists — Aseel Al-Yaqoub from Kuwait, Bady Dalloul from Syria, Heba Y. Amin from Egypt, Ala Younis from Jordan and Jawad Al-Malhi from Palestine — will all receive production grants. Their new works will be unveiled in a dedicated exhibition at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran in spring.
The change reflects a growing emphasis on supporting artistic production rather than selecting a single winner.
Farah Abushullaih, head of Ithra’s museum, said: “This year’s shortlist reflects the incredible diversity, creativity and critical thought shaping contemporary art in the Arab world. Expanding the shortlist to include five finalists aims to strengthen dialogue across cultures and generations, while reaffirming Ithra’s support for artists and their distinct artistic perspectives.”
This year also sees the prize exhibition returning to Dhahran, after previous editions toured cities including Dubai, AlUla and Riyadh.
Ithra said more than 500 submissions were received through an open call, with works undergoing a multi-stage review process before the final five were selected.
The shortlisted projects span a wide range of mediums and research-driven practices, engaging with contemporary political, social and historical questions across the Arab world.
