Kremlin propagandist Tigran Keosayan dies in Russia

27.09.2025 03:33

Ukrinform

Kremlin propagandist, filmmaker, and television host Tigran Keosayan died in Russia at the age of 59. His death was confirmed by his wife, RT editor-in-chief and fellow propagandist Margarita Simonyan.

According to Ukrinform, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported the news.

Keosayan had been hospitalized in critical condition late last year and remained in a coma until his passing.

Keosayan was 59 years old.

Over the course of his career, he directed 10 films. Since 2016, he hosted the propaganda show Mezhdunarodnaya Pilorama on NTV, where he commented on political events from a pro-Kremlin position, often using derogatory language against foreign leaders and critics of the Russian government.

He was an outspoken supporter of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and was subsequently sanctioned by the European Union and several other countries.

According to Ukrinform, in 2021, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry initiated a ban on Keosayan’s entry into Ukraine because his activities undermined national security.

In 2024, Ukraine’s Security Service (SSU) filed new charges against Simonyan for inciting genocide of Ukrainians. She had previously been charged with encroaching on Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

In September 2025, Simonyan announced that she had been diagnosed with a serious illness requiring surgery, later confirming she had cancer.