The information war, which escalated amid the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, revealed the acuteness of the issue of providing verified and impartial information for the residents of the Central Asian countries. CABAR.asia analysed how the Uzbek media cover the events in Ukraine.
The analysis of how the leading media in Uzbekistan cover the Russian-Ukrainian conflict showed that the media reflect the sentiments of the country’s population, which are divided in support of one or another side of the conflict.
In general, the country’s media do not openly support either side. However, despite the cautious statements and low-key rhetoric, the choice of the term ‘war’ or ‘special military operation’ demonstrates which side a certain media supports.
At the very beginning of the armed conflict, there were some incidents when, immediately after the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, the official sources of Russia and Uzbekistan “did not understand” each other.
The official website of the President of Russia published information about a telephone conversation between the heads of the two states on February 25, which states, “The President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed understanding of Russia’s actions”. Russia-24 TV channel cited this news in the TV report “In the Centre of Asia”; Tashkent refuted it later and tried to clarify the situation on the Telegram channel of the Press Service of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
“…Uzbekistan takes a balanced and neutral position on this issue. Our country has always had close and friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine. We are interested in ensuring peace, stability, and sustainable development in our region. All arising disputes and tensions must be resolved only on the basis of international law,” states Sherzod Asadov, the Press Secretary of the President of Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan was among several countries that abstained from voting for a UN resolution condemning Russia’s actions against Ukraine.
The official media in Uzbekistan prefer not to cover or comment on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The rare reports that appeared in the state media were exclusively about the issues of the evacuation of the Uzbekistan citizens from the combat zone in Ukraine.
One of the employees of a government newspaper in Uzbekistan anonymously told CABAR.asia that the editorial board instructed them “not to discuss and not to cover the issues of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in any way”.
The situation is somewhat different for the private media. Most of the independent Russian-language media in Uzbekistan, as well as the state media, cover the events based on the stories of Uzbekistan citizens who found themselves in the war zone in Ukraine. Since not a single Uzbek media has its own reporters in Ukraine, some media republish news from other sources or official websites, and not only from Russian ones.
For example, on February 28, gazeta.uz online media published a material titled “They Thought There Would be No War in the 21st Century. What Do Uzbeks Living in Ukraine Say?”; it told the stories of Uzbeks living in Kyiv.
Here is how Samarkand-born Temur Yusupov describes the situation in this article, “We all know that reports about the beginning of the invasion were distributed on February 16. However, we all thought there would be no war and no killings in the 21st century. We thought the ‘Cold War’ had begun. On Thursday, they announced that the real war had begun. We were shocked; everything seemed unreal. Even now, I refuse to believe that two fraternal peoples are at war with each other.”
Another news piece “Four Days Without Sleep. The First Plane with Evacuees from Ukraine Arrived in Tashkent” tells the stories of evacuees.
There is also an article on the website titled “The Deaths of 364 Civilians Confirmed in Ukraine Since the Beginning of the War – UN”. It includes the statistics published on the UN website.
Another media – https://podrobno.uz/ – actively covers events in Ukraine based on Russian news and using Russian rhetoric.
For example, one of the recent news pieces titled “Contract Fighters and Humanitarian Corridors. What Happens After the Entry of Russian Troops into Ukraine? Ninth Day” and dated March 4, reads, “Surrounded but not seized”.
“On the eighth day of the special military operation of Russian troops in Ukraine, the main actions unfolded around Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Mariupol – three cities the Russian troops surrounded but did not seize by Thursday evening.”
“Bakaleya city (Kharkiv region) has been freed from ‘nationalist battalions’,” said a Spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defence Igor Konashenkov at a briefing. “In Borodyanka (Kyiv region), where the units of Ukrainian nationalists and military equipment are located in residential areas, the civilians can safely leave the village through a specially designated corridor in the direction of Berestyanka.”
All information is taken from official Russian sources. However, the active link is present only in the line “The Podrobno.uz reporters have collected information about the situation from the positions of both sides”; the link goes to the kommersant.ru website.
It is clear that all these events leave no one indifferent. One way or another, the consequences of the war between Russia and Ukraine affect everyone, including journalists. The independent media Hook.report, which positions itself as the media for the new Uzbekistan, openly expressed its position on the ongoing events by posting a statement on its website.
“We, as the media, consider it our duty to remain impartial and independent in covering the military conflict. … Objectively, we understand that the war Russia started in Ukraine on February 24 will affect Uzbekistan and Central Asia as a whole. It will affect us politically, economically, and socially. … Hook.report remains a media for Uzbekistan. We will publish materials about the events in Ukraine precisely because the war will affect our region in one way or another. … Hook.report is against war and for a peaceful settlement of the conflict. Hook supports the independence and sovereignty of Uzbekistan and covers the Russian-Ukrainian conflict from this position,” the statement said.
Unlike media, bloggers in Uzbekistan express their positions more emotionally. In the Uzbek segment of social media, it is clear which side a particular blogger supports.
Meanwhile, citing the RFE/RL Uzbek Service, local media reported that several journalists and bloggers were summoned for questioning to the investigative department of the State Security Service, where they were warned about the “consequences of publications about events in Ukraine”.
However, the Uzbek bloggers hold similar opinions: the majority are against the military actions in Ukraine and support a speedy settlement of the conflict by peaceful means.
The collection of humanitarian aid has been organised to support the affected residents of Ukraine. The citizens of Uzbekistan are actively involved in this initiative. They bring medicines, clothes, baby food, and other necessary items.