Kiev: A weatherman on Russian state television surprised viewers on Monday by weaving comments on Ukraine`s political crisis into his weather forecast and warning of a "wind of change" in the country`s troubled east.
The bow-tied weatherman on Russia 24 rolling news channel, Vadim Zavodchenkov, broke with routine by comparing the weather fronts rolling across eastern Ukraine to the wave of clashes between pro-Russian forces and Kiev authorities.
"Clouds have gathered over Ukraine`s east and the consequences of this will be felt even in Russia," Zavodchenkov said.
The coal-mining city of Donetsk where pro-Kremlin protesters declared a people`s republic last week experienced "gusty wind, possibly the wind of change" caused by a cyclone from the region of Black Sea where the peninsula of Crimea is based, he said.
The political future for Ukraine`s east may be uncertain, but at least the weather is set fair in the Donbass region around Donetsk, he added in a punning commentary.
"In the Donbass region, where the situation is aggravated to the limit, light rain is possible today and tomorrow. We don`t know how much the confrontation will heat up, but the temperature on the thermometer in Donetsk will only rise."
The broadcast aired at around 6.50am and is posted on Rossiya 24`s website. Zavodchenkov is known for reports on extreme weather around the world that wrap in elements of news stories.
Russian state television has bombarded viewers with coverage of the Ukraine crisis that supports the official Moscow line, prompting comparisons with Soviet-era propaganda.
Weather forecasts on state television were quick to include Crimean towns immediately after the peninsula`s residents voted to join Russia in a referendum last month, despite international consensus that the annexation is not legally valid.
Putin getting requests for help from eastern Ukraine: spokesman
Russian President Vladimir Putin is receiving many requests for help from eastern Ukraine, where pro-Moscow protesters have clashed with authorities, and is watching the situation with "great concern", his spokesman said on Monday.
"Unfortunately, we are receiving a lot of such requests from the regions of east Ukraine, addressed personally to Putin, with a request to help, to intervene in some form," Russian news agencies quoted Putin`s spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.
"The Russian president is watching the development of the situation in these regions with great concern."
