Dmitry Kiselyov

In 2016, he admitted presenting fake documents when trying to demonstrate "widespread" support for SS in Ukraine

Kiselyov described the 2016 US presidential election as "the dirtiest campaign in the history of the United States", and that "It has been so revoltingly foul that there is real disgust at the fact that ... they still talk of democracy in America". He also repeated unfounded allegations of electoral fraud throughout the election, claiming that they made 1990s electoral fraud in Russia look like "simple child's play in comparison". Following the election of Donald Trump as the president-elect, Kiselyov praised Trump as "firm and consistent", welcoming his apparent lack of interest in lecturing the world on democracy and human rights.

In October 2015, Kiselyov was quoted as claiming that the US was fighting alongside the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Syria, saying: "In Syria, America stands on the side of the terrorist caliphate. Together they are trying to destroy Syria as a secular state." Kiselyov later blamed the Metrojet Flight 9268 crash on a secret pact between America and ISIS, and has said that if American bombers were to attack the Syrian army, then "We'll shoot them down". He also said that "imprudent behaviour" towards Russia in retaliation for its actions in the war may lead to "nuclear" consequences.

His comments have been controversial both in Russia and in the West, especially regarding gay people and the Euromaidan, the 2014 crisis in Crimea and allegations of US standing on "the side of the terrorist caliphate" ISIS, with it destroying Syria. Additionally, his show has been accused by other media of being a soapbox to promote pro-Putin propaganda.

Kiselyov has gained particular notice in the West for his commentary on gay people and statements made during the 2014 Crimean crisis. Kiselyov considers himself a liberal, while questioning the liberal credentials of his rivals Sergey Parkhomenko and Alexei Navalny. Regarding Parkhomenko and Navalny, he has asked, "Why are they liberals? They are absolutely totalitarian people. I am a liberal, because I put up with them." Kiselyov has been described by The Economist as Russia's propagandist-in-chief, and in a piece entitled "Russian TV host: Russia is the only country with capability to turn U.S. into 'radioactive ashes'" The Washington Post says that:

On 15 May 2014, Kiselyov said about the country, "There is no Ukraine. That is only a virtual concept, a virtual country. If you want to live in a virtual world, please do. ... But Ukraina.ru is a real portal. Not about the country, but about that territory which was under the rule of that country. Now it is a failed state."

Since 11 September 2014, Kiselyov is banned from entering Ukraine.

On 16 March 2014, against the backdrop of the Crimean referendum held a day prior, Kiselyov commented in his weekly current affairs and analytical programme Vesti Nedeli (News of the Week) in the context of his presentation about Vladimir Putin being a stronger leader than U.S. president Barack Obama: "After all, Russia is the only country in the world that is truly capable of turning the USA into radioactive dust." He also suggested that that was the reason why Obama's hair had been turning grey. Vladimir Putin in October 2016 replied to a question about Kiselyov′s "radioactive dust" remark by saying that nuclear sabre-rattling was "harmful rhetoric"; the Q&A exchange was shortly afterwards commented on by Kiselyov in his programme, in which he elaborated on what Putin actually said.

Dmitry Kiselyov being on the list for the first round of personal sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU in March 2014, in connection with the Ukrainian crisis, came as ″the biggest surprise″ to the international media.

In Sweden, he gained media attention in December 2013 when he criticized the moral values of that country in response to the 2013 Ukrainian protests, for which he partly blamed the Swedish political leadership and Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt as well as the government of Poland, accusing Poland and Sweden of fomenting the protests to avenge defeats in centuries-old Polish-Russian and Russo-Swedish Wars.

He is best known as presenter of Vesti nedeli (News of the Week), a weekly news programme on the domestic Rossiya 1 television network. His show is accused of being a soapbox to promote the Kremlin's policies, disparage homosexuality, denigrate the West and speculate about Western-led conspiracies as well as attack the political opposition to Putin. Prior to Rossiya 1, Dmitry was employed by Soviet Central Television as well as the Ukrainian television channel ICTV between 2000 and 2003.

Dmitry Konstantinovich Kiselyov (Russian: Дми́трий Константи́нович Киселёв ; born April 26, 1954 in Moscow) alternatively transliterated Kiselev, is a Russian journalist, presenter and news executive. In December 2013, he was appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin to head the new official Russian government-owned international news agency Rossiya Segodnya. He also serves as deputy director of Russian state TV holding company VGTRK.

Born in Moscow on April 26, 1954, Kiselyov was brought up in a musical environment, being the nephew of Soviet composer Yuri Shaporin, and graduated from School of Music in classical guitar. He studied at Medical College Number 6 in Moscow. In 1978 he graduated from the Department of Scandinavian Philology of philological faculty of Leningrad State University and claims to speak English, French, Norwegian and Swedish.