Oct. 24 (UPI) — A Russian television host was suspended Monday after saying on the air that Ukrainian children should be drowned and burned alive.
Anton Krasovsky, host of “Russia Today” and director of broadcasting for Russia TV since 2020, said children in Ukraine should be killed for calling Russia a hostile occupying power. Russia TV is a state-controlled news organization.
“They should have been drowned in the Tysyna [river], right there where the ducklings swim,” he said. “Just drown those children. Drown them.”
Krasovsky went on to say the children should be shoved inside their huts and burned alive. He also made comments about Russian soldiers raping Ukrainian grandmothers.
Russia TV’s editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan condemned the comments, calling them “wild and disgusting.”
Krasovsky’s suspension does not put an end to the issue though.
“Perhaps Anton will explain what kind of temporary insanity it was caused and how it broke from his tongue. It is hard to believe that Krasovsky sincerely believed that children should be drowned,” Simonyan tweeted Sunday.
Ukraine accused Krasovsky and Russia TV of inciting genocide. The network has shared many pro-invasion sentiments throughout the conflict in Ukraine while dismissing any claims of Russian war crimes.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba responded to Krasovsky’s comments on Twitter on Sunday, calling on governments that have not banned Russia TV to do so.
“This is what you side with if you allow RT to operate in your countries. Aggressive genocide incitement (we will put this person on trial for it), which has nothing to do with freedom of speech. Ban RT worldwide!” he tweeted.
Krasovsky posted an apology on social media, claiming he got “carried away,” but he still faces a probe by Russia’s Investigative Committee.
