HVOZDIEV Valentyn Alexandrovich

A russian military correspondent whose activities are closely related to supporting and covering the actions of the russian armed forces, in particular in the context of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Gvozdev's work goes beyond traditional war journalism. He functions as a media figure deeply integrated into the russian military and propaganda machine, using his access and status to legitimize russian aggression, normalize the occupation of Ukrainian territories, and spread narratives favorable to the kremlin through state and pro-military information channels.
Hvozdev demonstrates his commitment to the russian armed forces not only through his reporting but also through his participation in symbolic events, including his participation in the "initiation into Caspian sailors" ceremony, which shows his association with the russian navy even before the full-scale invasion, and in May 2023, he attended the so-called "victory parade" in Moscow as an "honored guest", which emphasizes his recognition by the russian state apparatus.
In general, Gvozdev's activities are focused on covering the war from a pro-russian perspective. From 2007 to 2024, he created reports for the russian Ministry of Defense-affiliated media outlet Zvezda News, including from the temporarily occupied cities of Ukraine during the full-scale russian invasion. His presence at the combat positions of russian artillery in Zaporizhzhia region during a report for Channel One was also documented. This indicates his close proximity to the fighting and his participation in the creation of content glorifying russian military operations.
He openly expresses support for the russian military. For example, in October 2023, Gvozdev publicly congratulated russian military pilots via Telegram, which is a direct demonstration of solidarity with the actions of the russian armed forces in Ukraine. In addition, he was reported to have participated in a "combat exercise" with an anti-tank guided missile system (ATGM) unit, indicating an extremely high level of integration with advanced military units and the use of this access to create propaganda content for pro-military resources such as the "RVvoenkor" Telegram channel.
He is the author of the propaganda documentary "Through the eyes of a military commander. Valentyn Hvozdev. Ukrainian "defenders" of Donbas".
He is also one of the speakers of the School of the Young Military Commander educational project, which is being implemented with the support of the Liberal Democratic Party of russia and the public organization "Union of Veterans of the SMO".