Russia-24
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA Russian state-owned, Russian-language television news channel operated by VGTRK.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Russia-24, also known as Rossiya-24, is a Russian-language television news channel owned and operated by the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, commonly known as VGTRK. It began broadcasting in Russia on 1 July 2006 and was initially known as Vesti. The name changed to Russia-24 on 1 January 2010 as part of VGTRK’s broader rebranding of its television services. The channel presents continuous news coverage, scheduled bulletins, interviews, political discussion, business and economic reporting, regional reports, documentaries, weather information and live coverage of major public events. Its stated editorial purpose is to provide a broad overview of developments across Russia, from Kaliningrad in the west to Vladivostok in the Far East, while also reporting on international affairs. The channel has maintained a particularly strong focus on Russian domestic politics, government activity, regional administration, security issues and foreign-policy developments. Russia-24 expanded its distribution outside Russia during its early years. It began broadcasting on the west coast of the United States in February 2007, became available in Serbia in May 2008 and in Kyrgyzstan in October 2008. VGTRK also launched a Crimea-focused service in March 2014, during the period of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the escalation of the conflict involving Ukraine. The channel has been treated by Russian authorities and state media institutions as a national news outlet, but its editorial independence has been questioned by journalists, media researchers and political critics. At its creation, commentators described it as a political project that could shape public opinion ahead of the 2007 parliamentary and 2008 presidential elections. Some television critics nevertheless praised its technical production standards and professional presentation, particularly in the late 2000s. Russia-24 has faced repeated criticism over election coverage, the use or presentation of disputed footage, selective editing, inflammatory commentary and its reporting on Ukraine. Critics have alleged that the channel has promoted official Russian narratives and has sometimes presented unverified or misleading claims as established fact. In 2011, an election graphic shown on air appeared to assign more than 146 percent of the vote in total to parties in the Rostov region, prompting accusations of falsification. The regional election commission said the graphic did not correspond to official Central Election Commission data, while channel management did not publicly resolve the controversy. The channel’s reporting during the 2013–2014 political crisis in Ukraine was widely criticized for moving away from neutral news presentation. Subsequent controversies included disputed reports from Crimea, the use of unrelated archival footage in a report about alleged attacks in eastern Ukraine, and contentious discussion of the Euromaidan protests. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia-24 became subject to broadcasting restrictions and sanctions in Ukraine, Moldova, the United Kingdom and the European Union. Western and Ukrainian authorities have characterized the channel as part of Russia’s state-controlled information environment and have cited its role in disseminating war-related narratives. Russia-24 remains an important outlet in VGTRK’s domestic television portfolio. Its reach, live-news format and integration with VGTRK’s regional infrastructure give it a central role in the presentation of official Russian political, social and international news. Its present status and distribution differ substantially by jurisdiction because of post-2022 sanctions, regulatory restrictions and bans.
History
Russia-24 was created within VGTRK as a dedicated Russian national news channel. Its first broadcasts in Russia began on 1 July 2006 under the name Vesti. The launch was intended to strengthen VGTRK’s continuous news capacity and to provide a channel capable of covering national politics, regional affairs, economics, public administration and international events throughout the day. From the beginning, the service emphasized nationwide reach and the ability to connect reports from different Russian regions. The channel developed an international distribution footprint soon after its domestic launch. It began broadcasting on the west coast of the United States in February 2007, reached Serbia in May 2008 and became available in Kyrgyzstan in October 2008. These launches complemented VGTRK’s broader effort to distribute Russian state television beyond the domestic market. The service also benefited from VGTRK’s regional broadcasting structure, which allowed it to incorporate reports from locations across Russia. In the late 2000s, Russia-24 attracted two contrasting assessments. Political observers argued that the channel represented a state political project and could influence public opinion during the parliamentary and presidential election cycles of 2007 and 2008. Television critics, while not necessarily endorsing its political line, often recognized the channel’s technical quality, fast-paced presentation and professional production standards. On 1 January 2010, VGTRK renamed Vesti as Russia-24, aligning the channel’s identity with the Russia-1 and Russia-K series of state television brands. Evgeny Bekasov became editor-in-chief in 2012. During this period, the channel expanded its mixture of rolling headlines, scheduled bulletins, interviews, discussion programs, regional windows, documentaries and live event coverage. Russia-24 received several industry recognitions, including awards associated with Russian television and broadcasting organizations in 2008 and 2009. It also received recognition at the Hot Bird TV Awards in 2009 and later awards for documentary and emergency-services reporting. The channel’s editorial reputation became increasingly contentious during the 2010s. A 2011 election graphic showing a combined party total above 146 percent in the Rostov region generated allegations of inaccurate or manipulated reporting. The regional election commission said that the graphic did not correspond to official Central Election Commission data. Russia-24 also faced criticism for a 2013 report on Georgia that allegedly used incorrect economic and corruption statistics, and for a 2014 segment using hidden-camera footage against Viktor Shenderovich. Coverage of Ukraine became a defining source of controversy. During the Euromaidan and Crimea crisis, critics argued that Russia-24 abandoned a neutral news posture, described protesters in strongly pejorative terms, curtailed or interrupted an interview with a Crimean opposition politician, and broadcast footage that appeared inconsistent with the events being described. A report about an alleged Simferopol shootout was questioned because of the weapons and apparent staging visible in the footage. Another report about phosphorus munitions in Ukraine used material from an earlier CNN report about Fallujah. The channel was also criticized for inflammatory commentary about Jewish support for the Euromaidan and for using part of a Boris Grebenshchikov song without his approval in a Ukraine-related report. Ukraine prohibited the retransmission of Russia-24 in 2014, and the channel’s journalists later encountered restrictions in Lithuania. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the channel became subject to broader European and allied restrictions. It was banned or blocked in Ukraine, Moldova, the United Kingdom and the European Union. Its war reporting, including claims that the Bucha massacre was staged and a 2024 misattribution of battlefield drone footage, reinforced criticism that Russia-24 functions as a state-aligned propaganda outlet rather than an independent news service. Despite these restrictions, Russia-24 remains active in Russia and continues to serve as VGTRK’s principal dedicated news channel. Its importance lies in its continuous format, nationwide reporting network and close connection to the Russian state broadcasting system.
- 2022
International broadcasting restrictions
[1]The channel was banned or blocked in several countries and jurisdictions following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
- 2014
Crimea-focused VGTRK broadcasting begins
[1]VGTRK Crimea began broadcasting during the Crimea crisis.
- 2014
Ukraine bans retransmission
[1]Ukrainian regulators prohibited the channel’s distribution in Ukraine.
- 2012
Bekasov becomes editor-in-chief
[1]Evgeny Bekasov took over as editor-in-chief.
- 2010
Rebranding as Russia-24
[1]VGTRK changed the channel name from Vesti to Russia-24.
- 2009
Multiple broadcasting awards
[1]Russia-24 received recognition at the TEFI, Golden Ray and Hot Bird TV Awards.
- 2008
Distribution expands to Serbia
[1]The channel became available in Serbia.
- 2008
National television award
[1]The channel won a Best TV Company of the Year competition organized by Russia’s National Association of Television and Radio Broadcasters.
- 2007
Expansion to the United States
[1]Russia-24 began broadcasting on the west coast of the United States.
- 2006
Domestic launch
[1]The channel began broadcasting in Russia under the name Vesti.
Products and positioning
A state-owned national news channel positioned as a continuous, nationwide source of Russian domestic and international news, with an editorial orientation closely aligned with official Russian state narratives.
Television news channel · 2006
Russia-24 television news service
The core Russia-24 service is a rolling Russian-language news channel covering national politics, government, regional administration, economics, security, society and international affairs. Its schedule combines live anchors, recurring news bulletins, interviews, expert discussion, field reporting, documentaries and special coverage of major events. The channel’s reporting infrastructure draws on VGTRK’s national and regional operations.
Former channel identity and news programming · 2006
Vesti
Vesti was the original name of the service launched in 2006. Although the channel was renamed Russia-24 in 2010, the Vesti identity remains associated with VGTRK’s news programming and online news presence. The format established the channel’s emphasis on scheduled bulletins, live reporting and national coverage.
News and documentary programming
Special reports and documentaries
Russia-24 produces and broadcasts extended reports and documentary programs on public administration, emergency services, national security, politics and major domestic or international developments. These programs supplement the channel’s continuous news schedule and have included reporting recognized in Russian journalism competitions.
Controversies
2024
Misattribution of battlefield footage
A report attributed drone footage showing a soldier shooting an injured colleague to Ukrainian forces. Subsequent reviews by journalists and experts concluded that the people shown were Russian military personnel.
2022
Bucha massacre disinformation allegations
Russia-24 broadcast claims that the Bucha massacre was staged and used imagery that critics said falsely reframed evidence of civilian deaths. The coverage contributed to international assessments that the channel was disseminating Russian wartime disinformation.
2014
Disputed Ukraine and Crimea reporting
The channel faced extensive criticism for reports concerning the Euromaidan, Crimea and alleged violence in Ukraine. Critics cited selective framing, interrupted interviews, apparently staged or misidentified footage and the use of unrelated footage in a report about phosphorus munitions.
2014
Hidden-camera footage broadcast about Viktor Shenderovich
A program discussing Viktor Shenderovich included compromising footage recorded with a hidden camera. The broadcast was condemned by critics as an improper invasion of privacy and as evidence of politically motivated editorial practices.
2011
Rostov election graphic controversy
During coverage of the State Duma election, Russia-24 showed a graphic in which the reported party percentages for Rostov appeared to total more than 146 percent. The regional election commission stated that the display did not reflect official Central Election Commission data, producing accusations of electoral misinformation.
Brand decisions
2022
International distribution restrictions after invasion of UkraineOtherBackground
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine led governments and regional institutions to restrict Russian state media judged to be supporting wartime propaganda.
Action taken
Russia-24 was banned or blocked in Ukraine, Moldova, the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Aftermath
The channel’s international availability narrowed significantly, while it continued operating in Russia.
2014
Ukraine suspends channel distributionOtherBackground
Ukrainian regulators argued that the content of several Russian channels did not comply with Ukrainian broadcasting law and relevant European transnational television standards.
Action taken
Ukraine prohibited the retransmission of Russia-24 along with several other Russian television channels.
Aftermath
The decision became part of a long-term restriction on Russian state television in Ukraine and was later followed by broader international measures.
2010
Rename Vesti as Russia-24StrategyBackground
VGTRK was reorganizing the identities of its television services and sought a clearer Russia-branded identity for its dedicated news channel.
Action taken
The Vesti channel was renamed Russia-24 on 1 January 2010.
Aftermath
The new name established Russia-24 as VGTRK’s principal dedicated national news brand.
Sources2 sources
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