Russia disinformation expert Julia Davis says she watches 'no less than six or eight hours' of state TV per day

Julia Davis, The Daily Beast's resident expert on Russia, opened up on Wednesday about her experiences growing up in the Soviet Union and how that has impacted her career debunking Russian disinformation.

In an interview with CNN+ correspondent Donie O'Sullivan, Davis said that she watches "no less than six or eight hours or more" of Russian state television every day so that she can get a handle on the lies that the Kremlin is feeding to the Russian people.

For example, coverage of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is being presented "like the Ukrainians want them there; they want to be liberated; that they have been oppressed by this so-called 'Nazi' government and they welcome Russia's intervention," Davis explained. None of those claims peddled by Moscow are true.

Davis noted that the attack on Ukraine and the related propaganda are "personal" for her because she grew up in Kyiv and that her family "only had three channels on television" that were "all government-controlled."

She recalled that a turning point for her was how she and her father learned about the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine.

"My dad came from work and he said something happened but no one says what it is," said Davis. "So we listened to Voice of America that night and we found out about Chernobyl. But nobody had told us until the day after."

It was then, Davis continued, that she "knew not only that they were lying but also that there was media that was telling the truth."

Watch the full interview below via Donie O'Sullivan: