- From Russia without love again - 5th June 2026
- Law unto himself - 3rd June 2026
- Crime pays unfortunately - 3rd June 2026
As our Editor, Welshman Phil Parry has written many times a free and independent media is essential for a functioning democracy, although this does not exist in many states around the world, and this is now highlighted by disturbing events today during the Ukraine war.
‘Black’ seems to be the operative word.
Accurate news about an enormous environmental issue has been blacked out by the authorities, and in that event we have seen, on social media, torrents of oil pouring down a street after a Russian refinery was hit by a Ukrainian drone.
Only yesterday we heard apparently partial news about a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on the Moscow region, when the authorities there seemed more concerned with telling us about those who had died (one), than in informing us of any possible environmental damage.
Weeks after the first attack (we don’t know exactly when it was), wildlife was dying, beaches remained polluted and volunteers trying to respond say their efforts were obstructed
As with the assault reported yesterday, the main worry of officials, it appeared, was to limit the political fallout of Ukraine’s drone attacks by keeping a lid on the news, but this is never a good idea because the information gets out anyway, although it may not be wholly accurate, so it is always better to be upfront and truthful about things, and let journalists in.
I am reminded of what happened at Chernobyl in Ukraine.
The accident occurred on April 26 1986, but no one knew anything about it at the beginning, because of a news blackout; even when it WAS reported (because of increased radiation levels), it was first OUTSIDE the Soviet Union TWO days later!
Initially it was in Sweden, but then it was at research stations in Finland and Denmark.
Around the Black Sea there appears to be something similar going on in the Russian ‘reporting’ of the devastating attack on a refinery in the city of Tuapse.
Authorities seem to be keener on demonstrating their prowess in fighting fires and downplaying the environmental damage, rather than tell the truth, so that people don’t change their holiday plans.
At the start officials simply advised residents to keep windows shut, limit their time outdoors and refrain from smoking.
On April 28 people living close to the refinery finally started to get evacuated.
An uncannily similar thing happened after the Chernobyl explosion.
When the details of the accident couldn’t be contained any longer, those in charge changed tack, and evacuated over 100,000 people from a 30-km exclusion zone, starting with nearby Pripyat (49,000 residents).
Families were told the evacuation was temporary, but it became permanent, with total relocations exceeding 350,000 in subsequent years.
Again, after the refinery attack, once the news started to leak out, Vladimir Putin spoke for the first time, but only to give upbeat reports from the regional governor asserting that the situation was under control.
“There are no serious threats”, he said. “People are coping on the ground with the challenges they face”.
It appeared, though, that the facts as seen on social media, are rather different!
There was rain stained with oily droplets and soot—similar to that seen in Iran after oil storage tanks were bombed there—which has contaminated water and soil. Black fumes rise from Tuapse and the toxic cloud stretches all the way to Sochi. It could even be seen by air passengers flying over the area.
Social media has been saturated with videos of the oil spills, and one showed burning fuel flowing down a street like molten lava, but with loudspeakers mounted on police cars warning residents that people taking photos of the destruction could be fined 500,000 roubles. Traffic police randomly searched cars and even checked the contents of cosmetic bags and first-aid kits, so that no reports about it all could get out.
God forbid there is ever a disaster of this magnitude here, but the lesson is clear if there is one: DON’T MUZZLE THE MEDIA!
The journalism of Phil, as he tried to bring out facts which were not always comfortable to those in power, and when he was being gripped by the rare neurological condition Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), have been released in a major book ‘A GOOD STORY’. Order it now!
Tomorrow – the BBC’s admission that the broadcast of a racial slur during the BAFTA awards breached their editorial standards, although there has been no such acceptance of liability for all the other controversies which have engulfed it, once again highlights the corporation’s REFUSAL to answer The Eye’s questions about the shocking number of those scandals sent to executives in 2024.
