This month, 1,000 people chose to support the Kyiv Independent. Can we count on you, too?
Become a member
Skip to content
Edit post

US actor, Russian propagandist Steven Seagal says he would 'die for Putin' in new documentary

by Nate Ostiller October 11, 2024 1:25 PM 2 min read
U.S. actor Steven Seagal arrives at Russian President Vladimir Putin's inauguration ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 7, 2024. (Alexander Nemenov/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

U.S. actor and Russian propagandist Steven Seagal said in a new documentary released on Oct. 10 that he was ready to fight for Russian President Vladimir Putin and "die if need be."

Seagal, who gained fame as an action star in the 1980s and 1990s, became enamored with Russia and Putin as his Hollywood career waned. He has nonetheless continued to make a long string of low-budget, direct-to-TV films.

The actor and martial artist gained Russian citizenship in 2016, and was subsequently named by Russia's Foreign Ministry as a "Special Representative for Russia-U.S. Cultural Links, Cultural and Historical Heritage in a voluntary capacity" in 2018. He reportedly relocated to Moscow in 2021 to escape fines from the U.S. government. Seagal has also been accused of sexual assault by multiple women.

Seagal has repeatedly praised Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and was one of the few Western "celebrities" to attend Putin's inauguration to his fifth term in office in May 2024.

In Seagal's new documentary, entitled "In the Name of Justice" and shared on the Russian state-run media platform Smotrim, he is shown visiting various occupied territories of Ukraine, including Mariupol.

Seagal is also shown speaking to civilians and sharing Kremlin propaganda talking points with the help of a translator and voiceover, as he does not appear to speak Russian. He also visits Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs), purported to be Azov fighters.

In one clip, Seagal says that he wrote a letter to Putin, saying, "now we will see who are our true compatriots and friends, and who are our enemies. I will be on the side of my president and I will fight on the side of my president."

There is no indication that the 72-year-old Seagal will actually participate in any military activities, combat or otherwise.

Meta’s ban on Russian propaganda doesn’t go far enough, say disinformation experts
Tech companies’ recent efforts to crack down on Russian propaganda on social media are unlikely to hamper Moscow’s campaign to undermine support for Ukraine, especially as major platforms, like X and Telegram, fail to take action. Tech giant Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, ban…
Let’s see how far we can go?
We’ve been amazed by your support. We’ve reached our initial goal of finding 1,000 new paying members. We still have till the end of our birthday campaign — with more support, we can do even more good journalism. Over 13,000 people are standing behind us. Can we count on you, too?
Show us support this birthday month
Become a member
visa masterCard americanExpress

News Feed

11:50 PM

US announces $988 million military aid package for Ukraine.

The latest aid package will be pulled through the remaining $2 billion in funding from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) — a Pentagon-led program for supplying arms to Ukraine through contracts with U.S. defense companies.
5:32 PM  (Updated: )

Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih kills 3, injures 17, including 6-year-old boy.

Russian forces attacked Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on Dec. 6, killing two people and injuring 17, including a six-year-old boy, according to Governor Serhii Lysak. The death toll rose to three on Dec. 7 when rescuers recovered another body from the rubble.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.