Cultural Russophobia: Framing of Russian Monument Removal in Ukraine by Russia Today (RT) in 2022

This study analyzes Russia's response to dismantlingresponse to the dismantling of Russian monuments by Ukrainian authorities through media coverage funded by the Russian government, Russia Today (RT), using the framing model. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which started on 24 February 2022, the media provided extensive reporting media produced extensive coverage with various reportsextensive coverage with diverse reports regarding the invasion. The demolition of four Russian monument figuresmonuments of Russian figures is assumed to beis framed as a form of Russophobiais framed as a form of Russophobia by the Ukrainian authorities in several cities: Dnepr, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Zhytomyr. This study employs Semetko and Valkenburg's (2000) framing analysis, which is supported by five forms of framesfive framing categories identified in previous research: conflict, human interest, economic consequence, morality, and responsibility. The data used in this study are from English-based news units owned by Russia Today (RT)English-language news articles published by Russia Today (RT) for the period August 16—December 29, 2022. The results show that Russia Today (RT) actively uses four frames to support the Russian Government in discrediting the Ukrainian Governmentsupport the Russian government’s efforts to discredit the Ukrainian government in eliminating cultural symbols by dismantling Russian monuments.