RT's Elizaveta Brodskaya once called a guy in Miami and asked him to come to Russia and create a show for RT. That guy was me. I thought the idea was crazy. Today, The Sanchez Effect grows every day and reaches hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Some agree with me. Some argue and think I'm crazy. That’s exactly how it should be. That’s called DEMOCRACY.

'My husband was a civilian. He was riding his bicycle to buy potatoes when he was killed.' An Alyoshki resident told me her husband, Igor, died when a mine dropped by a Ukrainian Baba Yaga drone exploded nearby. She says the attacks came from the Ukrainian-held right bank: drones, missiles, mortar shells and tank fire. His name was Igor.

'There was no water, no gas, no electricity, and practically no food.' That is how one Alyoshki resident described life in the city. Gunfire and shelling continued 24 hours a day. Before that came the flooding: a breached dam submerged much of the city, cutting power and stopping the water supply.

Even during an armed conflict, Russia and Ukraine can work together. Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmitry Lubinets told me he has a 'very good' relationship with his Russian counterpart because their focus is humanitarian: protecting lives and meeting people’s needs. He also credited Melania Trump’s team with helping coordinate and implement their agreement.

These people have chosen to evacuate to Russia. Several buses bound for Moscow are filling with civilians from Alyoshki. Some have chosen to go to Ukraine because their families are there. One woman told me she needs to reach her pregnant daughter. These deeply personal choices about family and safety. It must remain THEIR CHOICE.

These drones can appear out of nowhere and, in many ways, control the skies. The wreckage behind me shows how dramatically they have changed the battlefield. Russia’s latest Geran-4 and Geran-5 systems blur the line between a drone, missile and aircraft. Some argue that this technology has shifted the advantage toward Russia and is now pushing Ukraine toward negotiations.

We are standing on a BATTLEFIELD. As we enter the town, some buildings remain standing while others nearby have been destroyed by missiles or drones. Beyond them, dense trees provide cover. Look closely and you can see troops living among them, hidden beneath camouflage. This is what an armed conflict looks like up close.

I am now about two hours away from Alyoshki, a hot zone where a ceasefire is currently in effect. The question is: will it hold while we are here with Russian and Ukrainian representatives, as well as journalists from the United States?

A show created to give African stories a voice in international media eventually fell back into the same cycle of wars, poverty and negative headlines. Salim Kikeke explains how the project lost its original purpose — until Africans themselves were sidelined in telling their own continent’s story. So much for London giving Africa a voice. Full interview on Sanchez Effect.

How London media manufactured a narrative about the DRC elections. Tanzanian Crown Media co-founder Salim Kikeke tells a revealing story about how London-based media framed the 2018 DRC elections, turning an ordinary incident into “CHAOS IN KINSHASA.” The story that makes the headlines isn't always the story that happened. Full interview on Sanchez Effect.

“Language could be what finally unites Africa” — Salim Kikeke He argues that a common language could help bring the continent together, pointing to Swahili’s growing reach across Africa and its adoption by the African Union. Full interview on Sanchez Effect.

“You can see the real Nairobi, rather than Kibera all the time.” Salim Kikeke explains how social media is helping Africans show the side of their continent that mainstream Western media intentionally leaves out — from beautiful cities to everyday life beyond the familiar stereotypes. Full interview on Sanchez Effect.

“Africans have learned to question mainstream narratives.” — Salim Kikeke He explains why audiences are hungry for alternative perspectives — and how social media is helping challenge the stereotypes pushed by major Western media. Full interview on Sanchez Effect.

How London media manufactured a narrative about the DRC elections. Tanzanian Crown Media co-founder Salim Kikeke tells a revealing story about how London-based media framed the 2018 DRC elections, turning an ordinary incident into “CHAOS IN KINSHASA.” The story that makes the headlines isn't always the story that happened. Full interview on Sanchez Effect.

Remember high school? It takes courage not to follow the 'cool kids.' For generations, Hollywood, New York and London taught the world that there is only one culture and one center. Yet their countries represent only about 12% of humanity. Africa, Latin America, Russia, China and the Middle East have extraordinary cultures of their own. The truth is, the 'cool kids' aren’t only there. They’re also in the countries that make up the other 88% of humanity.

A British accent is NOT a journalism credential. There is nothing wrong with British journalists. But why do news channels across the Middle East, Africa and India still act as if they need to bring someone in from London to tell the story and then send them home? It’s time for global media to sound like the world it covers.

TRUST is one of the most important words in journalism. Every morning at 6 a.m., I begin preparing The Sanchez Effect by checking sources from around the world. TASS is among the sources I rely on and trust. My congratulations to TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov and his entire team on the organization’s 120th anniversary!