Russia's presidential administration recommended that state-owned and other Kremlin-dependent media outlets use the phrase "Putin strikes" when reporting on Russian attacks against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, according to an investigation by Meduza.
The outlet spoke with two employees of pro-government news organizations.
According to Meduza's sources, the recommendation was intended to portray the attacks on Ukraine as actions directly associated with President Vladimir Putin.
The journalists also found the phrase in publicly available reports published by state-owned and other media outlets loyal to the Russian authorities.
The use of the expression is therefore documented in published material. However, the claim that the recommendation originated with the presidential administration rests on information provided by Meduza's sources.
The full text of the alleged editorial guidance has not been made public. It is therefore not possible to establish that all state media outlets received the same written instructions or that the wording became mandatory for every newsroom.
The phrase is notable for personalizing military action by linking Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure directly to the president.
Meduza's investigation illustrates how coordinated political language may be used by government-dependent media when covering the war.