Marina Ovsyannikova, editor at the state broadcaster Channel One, protested against Russian military action in Ukraine during a state news broadcast. /AFP
A Russian journalist who protested Moscow's military action in Ukraine during a state news broadcast said Thursday she will quit her job but won't accept France's asylum offer, describing herself as "a patriot".
Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at Channel One television, came on to the set of its flagship Vremya (Time) news on Monday, carrying a placard reading "No War."
She was detained and a Moscow court quickly fined her 30,000 rubles (260 euros). But despite being let go she could still face further prosecution and years in prison under a new Russian media crackdown.
She told France 24 television from Moscow on Thursday that she had "handed in all the documents" for her resignation from Channel One. "It's a legal procedure," she said.
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Ovsyannikova, a mother of two young children, said she had "broken the life of our family with this gesture," with her son in particular showing anxiety.
"But we need to put an end to this fratricidal war so this madness does not turn into nuclear war. I hope when my son is older he will understand why I did this," she said.
Ovsyannikova's prime-time on-air message in Russian read: "Stop the war. Don't believe propaganda. They are lying to you here."
Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron had offered Ovsyannikova asylum and said he would bring up her case with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
But Ovsyannikova told Germany's Der Spiegel in an interview published Thursday that she had decided to reject the offer and stay in Russia.
Ovsyannikova could face years in prison under Russia's media new media law. /AFP
"I don't want to leave our country. I am a patriot, my son is even more so. We don't want to leave in any way, we don't want to go anywhere," she said.
She added that she had carried out the protest alone but suggested many colleagues privately sympathized with her.
"Most people who work for state television understand very well what is going on. They know only too well that they are doing something wrong," she said.
She told France 24 that some of her colleagues had also resigned but that many critical of the war felt unable to leave the job.
"I am happy that people handed in their notice but the economic situation is very hard and people find it very hard to stop their work."
Ukrainian-Russian food blogger Veronika Belotserkovskaya believes the Kremlin viewed her as an "enemy". /Reuters
Following the launch of its Ukraine campaign, Russia has implemented a new law that carries a sentence of up to 15 years in jail for "discrediting" the country's armed forces.
A Ukrainian-Russian celebrity food blogger is believed to be the first person to be publicly under investigation for spreading "false information" about the Russia army and authorities.
Veronika Belotserkovskaya, 51, known as "Belonika" on Instagram where she has nearly a million followers, said she believed the Kremlin viewed her as an "enemy".
In a profanity-riddled post published on February 26, the blogger - who lives in southern France - denounced Russian "patriots" and referred to the conflict as a "war of aggression".
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a warning to "traitors", accusing “a fifth column”of anti-war Russians wanting to destroy the country.
Belotserkovskaya is one of three people to be investigated so far under the new legislation, according to the investigative committee.