Russian TV to air its own version of Chernobyl, which implies CIA may be to blame

By PATRICK REEVELL Jun 8, 2019, 1:56 PM ET

Russian state TV is preparing to broadcast its own drama retelling the story of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, but unlike the acclaimed HBO series that has captivated audiences worldwide, the Russian version will suggest a CIA agent was there during the accident.

The Russian series, also titled "Chernobyl," is being produced by NTV, one of Russia’s main television channels, which is owned by the state-controlled Gazprom Media.

The HBO series has been a a global hit, including in Russia, praised by critics and viewers for its remarkable attention to detail and the verisimilitude of its representation of Soviet reality. It received the highest-ever rating for a television show on IMdB, as well as a 9.1 rating on Russian equivalent Kinopoisk.

The Russian show sticks less closely to reality. Its director, Aleksey Muradov told the tabloid, Komsomolskaya Pravda, that his version would include an alternative theory of the disaster. According to a description of the show, the plot will focus on a fictional contest between an American CIA agent who infiltrates the power station to gather intelligence and a KGB counter-intelligence officer hunting him.

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