Kremlin Propagandist Solovyev Calls for Russians to Flee While Threatening 'Extermination' of Panicked Citizens

Russian state television personality Vladimir Solovyev made contradictory and inflammatory statements during a morning broadcast on June 18, initially dismissing the emotional reactions of Moscow residents to attacks on the capital as hysteria, before pivoting to call for their departure from Russia. Speaking in a calm tone, Solovyev suggested that those showing fear should either leave the country or face 'extermination,' invoking Stalinist rhetoric. He characterized fearful citizens as traitors and proposed implementing military censorship, citing Stalin's Order No. 227 ("Not a Step Back") from World War II.

Solovyev's contradictory messaging reflected the tension between the state's demand for public stoicism during wartime and the visible panic spreading through Moscow's civilian population. He initially urged residents not to panic and to draw strength from family histories, arguing that Russia was engaged in a war that society had endorsed. However, he then reversed course, telling those he deemed weak or lacking 'Russian spirit' to leave the country and follow the path of traitors.

The broadcast came as Moscow experienced one of the largest-scale attacks since the beginning of Russia's military campaign. Numerous strike drones targeted the capital's oil refinery, causing extensive disruption to civilian aviation operations and restricting general transportation movement throughout the city. Residents reported widespread panic, with many expressing fear that Moscow was burning and calling for an end to the conflict. The timing of Solovyev's inflammatory rhetoric alongside the significant attack highlighted the growing strain between official narratives and public anxiety about the ongoing military situation.