BBC Russian is pro-Kremlin Russian informational resource

Dear editors of Kavkaz Center news and information agency,

On May 22, 2008 you published an article under the title BBC Confirms Bukovsky's Accusation That Its Structures Have Many Pro-Moscow Agents (in Russian).

The point that the article is trying to make is that "many pro-Moscow agents are working in its [BBC's] structures... [and] helping the FSB (Russia's Federal Security Service, formerly known as the KGB) to conduct informational warfare against Ukraine".

As a journalist that used to do business with that radio station, I would like to make some clarifications concerning the FSB's work in that organization.

I must state that there are no KGB agents or FSB informers among the employees of BBC's Russian department. Believe me, it is not necessary at all.

BBC's Russian Service is 90% Moscow-owned medium anyway, it is registered in Russia under the name of BBC-R (which stands for BBC-Russia).

Virtually the entire staff of the department, which consists of radio reporters and editors of the website containing the scandalous anti-Ukrainian article, is based in Moscow on Bakhrushina Street. The vast majority of that team are Russian citizens who have nothing to do with the country that gave asylum to Mr. Bukovsky.

BBC's silence about the murder of Mr. Litvinenko (Russian defector, former KGB/FSB agent killed in UK) was astonishing to us and not us only. This silence can be explained by panic fear and being paranoid about shutting down BBC's Moscow office, when hundreds of employees may lose their jobs as a result.

It must be mentioned that the sharp change in editorial policies of BBC's Russian department occurred after the Kremlin issued a strict warning and turned off BBC's FM transmitter in Moscow on August 17, 2007.

While hoping to maintain its presence in Russia (and nothing more than that), Russian-speaking management of the BBC banned the coverage of any events that have anything to do with the murder of Alexander Litvinenko by Russia's FSB.

Also, the editors were prohibited from touching on the subjects of war operations in the Caucasus. Thus, for example, operations by the Caucasus fighters can only be mentioned when acts of sabotage or war operations involve at least 5 casualties (as long as it is confirmed by the Russian side - KC).

The department is funded from London and the excuse for this nonsense is "the privilege to have an office in Moscow".

Besides the Russian department, there is the monitoring service, the Arab channel of the BBC, and the English-language service located in BBC's Moscow office.

For the sake of fairness it must be mentioned that the above-mentioned bans by BBC's Russian editorial staff have nothing to do with other departments of the BBC.

I.B.

Department of Correspondence,