Putin’s favorite TV anchor exposed as citizen of Montenegro and Honduras who spends most of her time abroad

Prominent Russian state television anchor Ekaterina Andreeva, the face of the Kremlin-controlled propaganda broadcaster Channel One (Perviy Kanal), holds citizenships of both Montenegro and Honduras, allowing her to travel freely around the world — including across the European Union. The news comes from an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF), founded by the late Alexei Navalny.

According to ACF investigators, Andreeva obtained Montenegrin citizenship in 2011 “for special services to the country.” The passport grants her visa-free access to the EU. She reportedly acquired Honduran citizenship even earlier — in 2005 — through her husband.

Flight and broadcast schedule data reviewed by the ACF show that Andreeva typically works one week on, one week off, and leaves Russia immediately after completing her shifts. Over a six-month period in 2023, the propagandist visited Turkey, the UAE, Uzbekistan, Serbia, Norway, and various EU countries, entering the EU via Finland. Notably, Norway had already stopped issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens a year earlier, and Finland was no longer allowing Russian tourists to enter the country using tourist visas.

The ACF report notes that Andreeva spends a significant amount of time in Montenegro, specifically in the resort town of Sveti Stefan on the Adriatic coast. The investigation identified the residence Andreeva uses during her visits — a large estate near the coast consisting of multiple connected buildings totaling 26,900 square feet (2,500 m²) and located on a plot over one 2.5 acres. The property was purchased in 2015 by her husband, Duško Perović, a dual citizen of Serbia and Montenegro. The Anti-Corruption Foundation estimates its current value at €10 million.

ACF also discovered that Andreeva’s daughter, Natalya, resides in Latvia with her husband.

Ekaterina Andreeva has been anchoring news broadcasts on Channel One since 1995. According to the ACF, she earns 13 million rubles (over $150,000) annually, averaging 75,000 rubles (over $900) per broadcast.