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Episode: EPISODE 2: Moscow

Author: Los Angeles Times | Wondery
Duration: 00:14:10

Episode Shownotes

Reporting dire news out of America and at home, Russian news anchor Viktor Antonov attempts to guide his audience through what may be the beginning of the end. Everywhere is a battlefield. ‘SIGN OFF’ is a branded podcast from LA Times Studios paid for by Bleecker Street and LD Entertainment

in support of the film ‘I.S.S.’ only in theaters January 19th.

Summary

In Episode 2 'Moscow' of the podcast 'Dirty John,' hosted by Christopher Goffard, news anchor Viktor Antonov reports on escalating chaos in Russia, including nuclear threats as military factions push for a coup. He navigates conflicting narratives and the implications of potential U.S. missile strikes. As violence and mistrust rise, Antonov emphasizes the importance of media integrity amidst misinformation and the urgent need for public preparedness. The episode illustrates the complex interplay between individual survival and collective responsibility in the face of national crisis and political fragmentation.

Go to PodExtra AI's episode page (EPISODE 2: Moscow) to play and view complete AI-processed content: summary, mindmap, topics, takeaways, transcript, keywords and highlights.

Full Transcript

00:00:19 Speaker_04
This is Sign Off, a branded podcast from LA Times Studios and paid for by Bleecker Street and LD Entertainment in support of the film ISS. Only in theaters January 19th.

00:00:41 Speaker_03
Welcome back to Russia Today. On R1 Cable News, I'm Viktor Antonov. We're coming to you in the middle of multiple major breaking news stories. It's just been confirmed that nuclear warheads launched from Russia are approaching the United States.

00:00:58 Speaker_03
The missiles were launched by military officials allegiant to a group calling itself the Red Federation that has been engaged in a coup against the government. Rumors have that coup succeeding, but We operate on fact here, not on rumor.

00:01:14 Speaker_03
You know, Lydia Rudin as a regular guest and a former ambassador in the Muratov administration.

00:01:21 Speaker_03
Lydia, we're hearing from sources that the coups succeeded, but the president was live on the air 10 minutes ago, talking very strongly about putting it down. Isn't that, shouldn't we read that as a sign that he's still in charge?

00:01:39 Speaker_05
Sources inside the Kremlin assure me the people behind the coup are being identified and detained. The administration is united in putting it down and making sure the people behind it face justice.

00:01:51 Speaker_03
Lydia, the missiles have hit Minot Air Force Base. It's in the northern center of the U.S., North Dakota.

00:02:01 Speaker_05
What is going on? Anyone?

00:02:13 Speaker_03
All right, we're back. We have our one field reporter, Nina Subbotin, just down the street outside the Kremlin. Nina, what are you seeing?

00:02:26 Speaker_00
Victor, after the two detonations this morning, crowds started showing up outside the Kremlin in protest after they heard from the president about the Red Federation and after this latest attack. And well, parts of the crowd started rioting.

00:02:40 Speaker_00
They're seeing more and more violence. I don't know how much longer we can stay here. Yes, Nina, it's Lydia. Where are the police, the military?

00:02:51 Speaker_00
We have been seeing soldiers kind of corralling the crowds, but we noticed, you can see one here, Sergei is going to zoom in, you can see they don't have any sort of ID, no patches or insignia, just uniforms.

00:03:05 Speaker_00
Minutes ago we started seeing these, we're calling them green shirts, fighting with other soldiers and the police. We think they're part of the Red Federation. We're hearing gunshots. The crowd is trying to move away. Where are they coming from?

00:03:29 Speaker_03
Nina, what are you seeing?

00:03:32 Speaker_00
There are two. You can see two people carrying a woman who looks like she's... Nina, get out of there!

00:03:40 Speaker_03
Hide! We can't stay here! Nina, are you there? Are you still with us? Sergei! Sergei, wake up! Help me! Just a few moments ago you saw an R1 camera operator shot on air. Sergei Volkov.

00:04:23 Speaker_03
He's being evacuated and we're waiting to hear from Nina on his condition.

00:04:28 Speaker_05
During the break we received a notice.

00:04:32 Speaker_03
Yes, I think all Russian media did.

00:04:34 Speaker_05
From the Red Federation. It's a demand for R1 to broadcast a message from its leaders. It's already up online.

00:04:43 Speaker_03
I guess now they want it... A decision's been made that R1 won't be doing that. We're not handing over the airwaves. We won't spread lies.

00:04:52 Speaker_05
Another part of all of this is what... how the US is going to respond to a... a nuclear strike on one of its military bases.

00:05:00 Speaker_05
To help answer that, we've brought in Owen Spall, a regular guest and a former professor at Oxford University, who was forced out of his position over his defense of President Muratov.

00:05:14 Speaker_05
Owen, what can we expect from the Americans after the attack on Minot?

00:05:20 Speaker_02
Whoever's finger was on the button when those missiles were fired, they were fired from Russia. Russia is suddenly an existential threat to the United States. We have to assume they're going to retaliate.

00:05:31 Speaker_03
I think it's important to remember that President Muratov didn't give that order.

00:05:36 Speaker_02
But the U.S. very likely doesn't see Muratov as being in charge anymore. How do... We haven't heard anything, any statements from the U.S. about the president or this coup. I'm not going to debate optics, okay? I think we're well past that.

00:05:50 Speaker_02
The calculus here is very simple. Unless Russia wants to face an all-out response, it needs to finish what was started and cripple the US's nuclear arsenal as much of it and as quickly as possible.

00:06:02 Speaker_02
Wait, Owen, what- We are talking about the end of the world and you want to escalate this? When it comes to the survival of Russia, Don't you?

00:06:12 Speaker_02
You put Muratov on a pedestal, and I know why, but you have to stop pretending he's this generational saviour. He's not. He's never been. Because of him, Russia's lost allies, stature, he's turned countries like Ukraine into allies of the US.

00:06:26 Speaker_02
You're siding with these people?

00:06:28 Speaker_03
These are... This is insane. We're not doing this. I want his microphone cut, and I want him off the stage now.

00:06:36 Speaker_02
Look, in ten years, every superpower on the planet is going to be at war over land, water. Muratov can't win those fights. Look at the US. Look at the Space Force.

00:06:45 Speaker_02
They've been gearing up to make one last big grab for everything, and this country's been whistling past the graveyard. Alright? Russia has to embrace much, much more aggressive tactics if it's going to survive.

00:06:57 Speaker_03
There are Russians and Americans working together right now on the International Space Station. You're saying a better solution is to what? Fight over it?

00:07:07 Speaker_02
Fire more missiles? Everywhere's a battlefield, and if the Red Federation's willing to cross some imaginary line to protect Russia that Muratov can't or won't, then Russians need to think about which side they're on. Muratov made you rich, Victor.

00:07:21 Speaker_02
But your story, it's not normal. It's not what most people here get to experience. You just bought another vacation home, right? Good for you, but not for Russia.

00:07:31 Speaker_03
I think Owen's done enough damage. I'm not sharing his stage with this maniac. Victor! What is going on?

00:07:40 Speaker_04
Are the US retaliating? Are we okay?

00:07:53 Speaker_03
We're back. We've tried to block out the sirens as best we can. Lydia's decided to, well, chose to leave. She has a young daughter. We wish her Just that she gets home safely. Owen is... I'm sorry.

00:08:16 Speaker_03
The sirens are in response to an unknown number of US missiles, nuclear missiles, confirmed to be heading towards Russia. We're hearing there are plans to intercept them, but we won't know what happens until... I don't know.

00:08:34 Speaker_03
Um... Okay, I'm... Okay, I'm being told we have Alexey Cheka on the line. He's a member of the Federation Council and a friend. Alexey, are you at the Kremlin? Victor, are you there? Alexey, are you alright? Where are you?

00:08:50 Speaker_01
I, uh... I don't think I should say. They might be listening.

00:08:54 Speaker_03
Who's listening?

00:08:55 Speaker_01
The Red Federation. Now listen to me, Victor. They are going to launch every missile they can before those warheads hit. People need to be ready for what is coming. This is happening, Victor. You must make sure they know. You have to make sure.

00:09:17 Speaker_03
Are there other people there? Who's with you? Are you somewhere safe? Alexei?

00:09:21 Speaker_01
They're rounding us up. People are... Their bodies in the holes I saw.

00:09:32 Speaker_03
What's the plan to deal with these people?

00:09:36 Speaker_01
The president has to have... Oh, the president, Victor, he's not... he's not... Not what? Alexei, not what? What do you honestly think he could do, Victor? Honestly? The people in the streets killing their neighbors for the Red Federation?

00:09:54 Speaker_01
They're Muratovs! He made them, and you know this. He builds these people up in secret, these extremists, so that he can have a foil, you know? Someone worse than him, so he can point at it and say, they're the problem. And we let him do it, Victor.

00:10:15 Speaker_01
We let him build an army of psychopaths. And when his cabinet turns his army against him, we sit there asking, how did this happen, huh? We failed.

00:10:33 Speaker_03
Alexei, what's going on?

00:10:38 Speaker_01
We always looked the other way, Victor. We did not see what was coming. Alexei!

00:10:50 Speaker_03
Alexei! We can now report that seven of the U.S. missiles have been successfully intercepted, but 25 more are still airborne and heading toward their targets. The expected time of impact is some three minutes from now.

00:11:26 Speaker_03
We're hearing reports of additional missiles fired from U.S. submarines in the Atlantic, but I don't have any details. how many their targets. We also don't know whether Russia responded.

00:11:43 Speaker_03
Alexei Cheka and I served together as part of the Federation Council. We shared priorities for our homes for Russia. I know his family. He knew mine. He was a good man. Maybe what he said is a reason we are here today. I don't know. What?

00:12:14 Speaker_03
We've just received word that a missile is headed for Moscow. For the Kremlin. Just a few blocks from where I am broadcasting. Attempts to intercept it are ongoing but... Do we still have Nina? Is anyone in the studio? The studio's empty now.

00:12:38 Speaker_03
We still have no word whether Russia has retaliated or if there is anyone out there still loyal to humanity. Stop this before there's nothing left. Please! I don't know what else to say. What to leave you with except for a quote from Dostoevsky.

00:13:06 Speaker_03
The whole question here is, am I a monster or a victim myself?

00:13:50 Speaker_04
This has been Sign Off, a branded podcast from L.A. Times Studios and paid for by Bleecker Street and LD Entertainment in support of the film, I.S.S. Only in theaters January 19th.