[OFFICIAL] Ukraine Thread

[SueEllen]

The Russians are running.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ia-ukraine-war

.....
A growing number of Russians have decided to leave their country following Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, fearing the economic and political consequences the move will have.
</snip>
Russia has already seen a major crackdown on those opposing the invasion.

More than 7,500 people have so far been detained at anti-war protests across the country, according to the independent monitoring site OVD-Info. A number of the country’s independent news outlets have also been forced to shut down.

But those who leave are also fearful of the economic uncertainties that the country now faces: the Russian rouble and financial markets crashed this week after the West implemented crippling sanctions, and Moscow has also seen a mass exodus of western companies, including Ikea, Apple and Nike.

</snip>

[NotAllThere]

Talking to some Russian friends earlier. They'd like to leave. But it wasn't easy six months ago. It's getting harder now.

[SueEllen]

Talking to some Russian friends earlier. They'd like to leave. But it wasn't easy six months ago. It's getting harder now.

It maybe impossible after tomorrow especially if you are an adult male under 60.

[SueEllen]

This is what I kept hearing on the radio e.g. people in Russia not believing their family members living elsewhere in the world or even worse in the Ukraine.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60600487

Oleksandra and her four rescue dogs have been sheltering in the bathroom of her flat in Kharkiv since the shelling began.

"When I heard the first explosions, I ran out of the house to get my dogs from their enclosures outside. People were panicking, abandoning their cars. I was so scared," she says.

The 25-year-old has been speaking regularly to her mother, who lives in Moscow. But in these conversations, and even after sending videos from her heavily bombarded hometown, Oleksandra is unable to convince her mother about the danger she is in.

"I didn't want to scare my parents, but I started telling them directly that civilians and children are dying," she says.

"But even though they worry about me, they still say it probably happens only by accident, that the Russian army would never target civilians. That it's Ukrainians who're killing their own people."

It's common for Ukrainians to have family across the border in Russia. But for some, like Oleksandra, their Russian relatives have a contrasting understanding of the conflict. She believes it's down to the stories they are told by the tightly-controlled Russian media.


Oleksandra says her mother just repeats the narratives of what she hears on Russian state TV channels.

"It really scared me when my mum exactly quoted Russian TV. They are just brainwashing people. And people trust them," says Oleksandra.

"My parents understand that some military action is happening here. But they say: 'Russians came to liberate you. They won't ruin anything, they won't touch you. They're only targeting military bases'."

</snip>

Mykhailo, a well-known Kyiv restauranteur, didn't have the time or inclination to watch Russian TV coverage of the invasion.

When shelling of Ukraine's capital started, he and his wife were concentrating on how to protect their six-year-old daughter and baby son.

At night their children woke up at the sound of explosions and couldn't stop crying. The family made the decision to move to the outskirts of Kyiv and then flee abroad.

They travelled to Hungary, where Mykhailo left his wife and children and came back to Western Ukraine to help the war effort.

He was surprised not to have heard from his father, who works at a monastery near Nizhny Novgorod in Russia. He called his father and described what was happening. His father replied that this wasn't true; there was no war and - in fact - Russians were saving Ukraine from Nazis.

Mykhailo said he felt he knew the power of Russian propaganda, but when he heard it from his father, he was devastated.

"My own father does not believe me, knowing that I'm here and see everything with my own eyes. And my mum, his ex-wife, is going through this too," he says.

"She is hiding with my grandmother in the bathroom, because of the bombardment."

</snip>

[Paddy]

And the Duma is passing a law to day on censorship of the war. Two independent TV stations have been forced to close.

[DealorNoDeal]

It's ironic that Putin claims that Ukraine is run by Nazis, when the Russian State/Media is doing exactly what Nazi Germany did, brainwashing the people with false propaganda.

[RUSSIAN ACCENT]
Why the West impose sanction against us, and ruin economy?
Why they stop our planes flying?
Why they ban us from sports, and stop football?
Why their companies leaving?
When all we do is liberating Ukraine from Nazis.
Do they like Nazis? Are they Nazis too?
Mr Putin doing world a big favour getting rid of Nazis, and this all thanks we get!
[/RUSSIAN ACCENT]

Just like in Nazi Germany, it might take a while for ordinary Russians to start questioning Putin's narrative.

[SueEllen]

It's ironic that Putin claims that Ukraine is run by Nazis, when the Russian State/Media is doing exactly what Nazi Germany did, brainwashing the people with false propaganda.

[RUSSIAN ACCENT]
Why the West impose sanction against us, and ruin economy?
Why they stop our planes flying?
Why they ban us from sports, and stop football?
Why their companies leaving?
When all we do is liberating Ukraine from Nazis.
Do they like Nazis? Are they Nazis too?
Mr Putin doing world a big favour getting rid of Nazis, and this all thanks we get!
[/RUSSIAN ACCENT]

Just like in Nazi Germany, it might take a while for ordinary Russians to start questioning Putin's narrative.

Wonder what Putin is going to do about ice hockey, his favourite sport?

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/...-backlash-next

The International Ice Hockey Federation has pulled events from that nation and banned both Russia and Belarus from participating in any IIHF events. The now-canceled world junior tournament was scheduled for December 2022 and January 2023 with Russian cities Novosibirsk and Omsk, both in Siberia, as the hosts. Novosibirsk was constructing a new arena facility specifically for the event.

"The IIHF is not a political entity and cannot influence the decisions being taken over the war in Ukraine," IIHF president Luc Tardif said. "We nevertheless have a duty of care to all of our members and participants and must therefore do all we can to ensure that we are able to operate our events in a safe environment for all teams taking part in the IIHF World Championship program."

Tardif's predecessor as IIHF president was Rene Fasel, who is known for his friendly relationship with Russian hockey. Fasel told Russian media that the IIHF's actions were "a sad moment" for the organization.

"Even during the Cold War, the Soviet Union played with the United States and with Canada. Even in such a tense situation as today, sport must carry the message of peace and united people," he said

[d000hg]

It's ironic that Putin claims that Ukraine is run by Nazis, when the Russian State/Media is doing exactly what Nazi Germany did, brainwashing the people with false propaganda.

No not really ironic. That's just how dictators work, same with Stalin and N. Korea and many others. It doesn't mean Putin is a Nazi or driven by Hitlerite motivations. It's just part of the playbook

[Fraidycat]

No not really ironic. That's just how dictators work, same with Stalin and N. Korea and many others. It doesn't mean Putin is a Nazi or driven by Hitlerite motivations. It's just part of the playbook

That is not just the playbook or evil dictator's like Putin and Stalin.

This is also the playbook of west governments like our very own, use false propaganda and brainwashing when they need to justify doing evil things e.g. invading Iraq, "Iraq has WMD and could hit the UK in 45 minutes"..

Not everyone fell for these lies, i certainly didn't, but enough people in the UK did.

[SueEllen]

It helps if you have a free press - https://rsf.org/en/ranking

Oh and it is now the law in Russia you can't spread "false" information about the armed forces.