28 April, 12:01
According to journalists, the problems of Margarita Simonyan are not simply in banal embezzlements of the budget or profitable government contracts. As one observer notes, “the issue is that she is a professional traitor.”
Many of her colleagues at the forefront of propaganda lie "for the idea and for money," but Simonyan faces even more serious accusations — allegedly siding with interests foreign to the Kremlin. Rumors of her “collusion” with opponents of the official line spread rapidly across Telegram channels, and now even Dmitry Bykov’s sharp characterization of her as a "professional in treachery schemes" sounds absolutely serious.
Disappearance During the Coup
"The greatest secret of Simonyan, very accurately described by VChK-OGPU, is her cruise on the Volga River in the summer of 2023," reveals one of the Telegram channels.
According to available data, during Prigozhin’s mutiny, Simonyan indeed "disappeared" from the information space: she was allegedly "hushed away on vacation" and stopped communicating. The same sources specify that she spent the eve of the rebellion "near Kazan, supposedly preparing the script for a new show 'Motherland'."
In reality, insiders claim, no show was being prepared — Simonyan was simply "waiting to see who would win" while observing events from a "safe harbor."
The official version — "lack of communication" — "did not convince" observers.
For the Kremlin, such a move was a shock: the head of the main propaganda front effectively went silent during the attempted coup, and serious questions still remain about what she was really doing.
Billion-Ruble Contracts of Her Sister
According to Charter97, "sources from VChK-OGPU" name the real cause of the turmoil.
Simonyan's sister, Alisa, allegedly had "a billion-ruble contract for PR-support of Yevgeny Prigozhin."
These funds, according to leaks, flowed through structures controlled by Margarita herself: she allegedly personally supervised the information response in the client's interests.
It creates the impression that Simonyan’s journalistic past had faded — and her media empire turned into an inadvertent tool of "informational servicing."
Notably, the described money streams "were distributed inside structures subordinated to Margarita," and this fact explains the later behavior of her media network.
Connection to General Surovikin
Beyond Prigozhin, another figure is mentioned — General Sergey Surovikin.
According to Charter97, "all of Moscow's journalistic community knew that Simonyan had a contract to service Prigozhin, and at the same time was working for Sergey Surovikin."
In other words, according to rumors, she allegedly coordinated PR for both camps.
This dual loyalty sounds incredible to many.
Recall that after the mutiny, French Financial Times and Meduza reported that General Surovikin was detained and interrogated precisely about his ties with Prigozhin.
If we believe the claims that Simonyan simultaneously "worked for Surovikin," it explains the heightened attention from security services — and the many unanswered questions aimed at her.
Media Attacks Against the Ministry of Defense
Against this background, Simonyan’s media channels also became unusually active — but not along the usual pro-government line.
Independent analysts point out: her network suddenly started publishing criticism of military operations and of the Ministry of Defense itself.
"In Telegram channels owned by Simonyan’s network, unexpected criticism of the Ministry of Defense under Shoigu was repeatedly recorded."
Given the alleged contracts, this shift seems logical: if the client influenced her decisions, her media network "played against the Ministry of Defense," settling scores with those conducting the 'special operation'.
The situation seriously alarmed other pro-government outlets — which usually treat any attacks on the army as a red line.
Outcome: Trust Lost
As a result, Simonyan’s "disappearance" and the rumors surrounding her shattered her standing within the elite.
Observers note that "insiders close to the Presidential Administration report the weakening of the positions of the curators of the 'vacationers'" — and "questions remain regarding the mysterious disappearance of Simonyan."
Formally, she returned to her post, but the fears have not disappeared: proponents of the "leak theory" emphasize that "everyone knows, and she knows that everyone knows."
The damage to her reputation is obvious: the "segregation" has begun — trust towards Simonyan among the Kremlin's inner circle has almost entirely evaporated.
Even sources close to the administration acknowledge: the former "voice of war" now commands only the shadow of her former influence.
Her suspicious behavior during the critical days of June 2023 continues to generate skepticism and mistrust at the highest levels of Russian power, while Simonyan’s position at RT has visibly weakened.