Journalist apologises after repeatedly telling readers Russia wouldn't invade

Journalist Matt Taibbi has apologised after he previously reassured his readers that Vladimir Putin would not order a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian leader called the invasion a "special military operation" and also claimed he was helping with the "denazification" of Ukraine and said his troops were "peacekeeping".

While previous reports and U.S. intelligence suggested Russian military was ready to launch an attack in Ukraine, Taibbi was one commentator who did not believe the reports.

Taibbi, who writes for Rolling Stone and hosts the Useful Idiots podcasts, was critical of the reports and dismissed talk of war as fear-mongering in the weeks leading up to the invasion.

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He has now offered an apology on his Substack newsletter, saying he was "sorry".

“Part of news and even commentary is admitting mistakes, and though I always made sure when discussing the subject to note Vladimir Putin could still invade Ukraine, I have to admit, I didn’t see this happening,” he said.

Taibbi continued: “Some old colleagues I trust, including some Putin-critical Russians, didn’t see it, either, but in many cases they just didn’t want to believe it, for reasons that are more understandable from their perspective.

“My mistake was more like reverse chauvinism, being so fixated on Western misbehavior that I didn’t bother to take this possibility seriously enough. To readers who trust me not to make those misjudgments, I’m sorry.”

Taibbi went on to say: “Obviously, Putin’s invasion will have horrific consequences for years to come and massively destabilize the world.”

The journalist also said he still believes in a healthy scepticism of government claims.

It comes after several explosions were heard in Kyiv during the early hours of Friday, with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirming that the Russian assault resumed at 4 am local time.

The UK, EU and US have confirmed sanctions against Russia since the invasion began on Thursday.

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