If you are Russian what is your opinion on Ukraine situation and Russia stance?

[Bohemianwannabe]

As above

Anyone? There must be some Russian mumsnetters with an opinion?

My father is Russian. We have family in Ukraine. This is appalling and beyond monstrous. There is a sense of shock amongst the Russian half of my family, and my Russian friends. Shock and horror.

The Russian populace is subject to a lot of propaganda, and they are not being given true information as to what is actually happening in Ukraine. Generally speaking, the people in the cities are the ones most likely to see through the propaganda, and most likely to access the information they need. There are more and more protests breaking out across Russian cities, which Putin is clamping down on. People are being beaten, arrested and facing charges of treason for speaking out. He knows international and home opinion is against him. It’s terrifying, because he will respond as a cornered animal. He needs to be put down from within. The generals need to act.

It must be heartbreaking for you. I am so sorry I have only just seen your post. The amount of misinformation and lies Putin tells the Russian media is terrifying I hope someone takes him out, there is a coup or he sees sense soon although none of that seems likely.

Two people (a soldier and an economist, I think) spoke out against the war on Russian state TV yesterday apparently but were shut down by the hosts.

They risk 15 years in prison so were very brave.

The bravery of those Russian protestors has been remarkable. I really feel for the Russian people who are horrified by what's going on. I'm sure that the vast majority of those who actually know what's happening do not want this war.

What do you hope to gain from this thread OP? Opinions from Russians will go only one wauy.

Even if there was a Russian poster who kind of agreed with Putin, they will not post here for fear of going up in flames.

I'm not interested in their opinion of the war. Ordinary people are just pawns. I'd be more interested in how the Russian citizen is finding daily life now that sanctions are beginning to bite.

I would imagine that any Russian who is able to see Mumsnet, is therefore able to see the news and would be horrified.

Am I right to think that most Russians are not able to access 'unfiltered' social media and propaganda? So they have no idea what is going on??

I saw a news report from Russia where they interviewed two young women in the street. They said they fully supported Putin's actions. THey are not calling it a war or an invasion, they think it's a necessary intervention to quell Ukranian dissidents.

I had an uncomfortable conversation with Russian colleague (we are both highly educated, immigrants to Britain) in ~2015 about Crimea occupation. "You just don't understand. It was always Russian so there's nothing wrong about Russia taking it back, Crimea never really belonged to Ukraine, all the people in Crimea are happier to be part of Russia again." I was seething but you know, was a work meeting... I've just avoided her since. I wonder what she's saying now, grrr.

Twitter shows soldiers stopping ordinary Russians in the street to check phones, what they might have been saying or reading, to find anti-Ukraine-war statements. Stopping people for no other reason than to look at their phones. Is that really happening?

I have had a similar conversation with a Russian colleague @CleverKnot. She lives in UK but family all still in Russia. She is early 30s so has spent all of her adult life with Putin in control and has been very supportive of him in past. Completely believes in the Russian narrative on Ukraine as not really a separate country. I won't start the conversation with her in this most recent escalation. One conversation can't fight against a lifetime of misinformation. She lives here, she can access information.

I am not Russian but I know/knew quite a few Russians in the U.K or west Europe. All ordinary people with ordinary jobs. No oligarchs. All have been historically Putin supporters -or were. With the latest news, some still support him, some don’t.

Why are "we" so convinced that out version of the propaganda is the correct version?

I'm not saying it's not, but we know the news is manipulated by our politicans all the time.

Isn't it likely that the truth is somewhere between the two?

One of my son's friends is Ukrainian the whole family came here as refugees in 2013/4. I assumed they would have been horrified at what Russia is doing so shocked when I spoke with them and they sided with Putin.

It seems that they can disregard what's being reported as just western propaganda even though the evidence is there and the UN is calling it out.

I sympathise with the worry they have about family members but can't bring myself to speak anymore. Being told that we are only hearing one side and Russia is only acting to stop fascists in Ukraine is sickening, I can't bear to listen to it.

I can only conclude that years of state disinformation have taken their toll and allow them to ignore what they can see with their own eyes 😡☹️

I would imagine that any Russian who is able to see Mumsnet, is therefore able to see the news and would be horrified.

No, that not necessarily the case.

I expect that Russian people living in other countries who sympathise with the people in Ukraine are doing all they can to inform their relatives in Russia.
Though what they can do with that knowledge is limited. I don’t think I would be brave enough to protest.

@DetailMouse it doesn't matter what the truth of the political situation is.
The fact is that Ukrainians are being shelled out of their homes and many have been killed.
That's more than propaganda.

One of my team is Russian. We're in Australia. She's really worried about her parents in Moscow and her grandma near the border. She says if her parents protest in any way, they'd definitely lose their job. So they are keeping quiet.

I don’t think Russians in general need to explain themselves because of Putin or commentate on Putin any more than Muslims in general need to explain Islam because of Daesh or commentate on Daesh.

All the people of the former USSR, and before that Russian empire, have suffered lack of freedom for centuries.

I massively admire the Ukrainians, Russians and others who are speaking out, resisting, protesting or fighting at risk to themselves. Also the Poles, Moldovians, Belorussians and others who are standing by them and supporting them.

@DetailMouse. This type of thinking is exactly where Russia has been the most successful - this idea that truth is subjective and there is such a thing as "alternative facts". There are many many media outlets around the world reporting what is happening. Can you point to 3 non-Russian state sources that supports their version of events? (Hint - Belarus most certainly doesn't count )

[quote BlubFestival]@DetailMouse. This type of thinking is exactly where Russia has been the most successful - this idea that truth is subjective and there is such a thing as "alternative facts". There are many many media outlets around the world reporting what is happening. Can you point to 3 non-Russian state sources that supports their version of events? (Hint - Belarus most certainly doesn't count )[/quote]
Oh I agree, I just think it's high unlikely that we're being told the full truth either and I can see why Russians would believe their own version of events.

I am russian living in UK. I was never against Putin as such even though my sympathy was descreasing. I never believed Russia would ever attack Ukraine. When it happened I was horrified. Still I want to wake up and find out it was a bad dream. NATO was never Russia's friend, but invasion of Ukraine is so wrong in so many ways. Peoples opinion in Russia are divided. And sanctions are hitting the younger people who used to travel, who work for international companies, buy imported products and those who are completely against this invasion. Older generation and younger people who believe in this propaganda never actually traveled abroad and their lifes so far are not affected

I see what you mean @DetailMouse but I think this is an unhelpful way to frame it:

it's high unlikely that we're being told the full truth either

There are facts - Russia has invaded a sovereign country and is targeting civilian infrastructure.

And there are opinions: We should be supporting a no fly zone / we most definitely shouldn't be.

Zelenskyy is a hero/ He is a war mongering narcissist who's enjoying his moment on the international stage a little too much.

I have listened to and read a really wide variety of opinions on the response and personalities involved from UK and international news outlets and citizen journalists.

The point is in the UK, I'm not being exposed to one central explanation and justification for these actions and what the response should be. I'm being told the facts and then opinion is layered over them. And we don't have to agree.

I consider myself Russian, though I lived most of my adult life in the UK. I have a Ukraininan maiden name, my Mum grew up in Donbass, and speaks fluent Ukrainian. My great grandparents died during Holodomor. I have Ukrainian genes on both sides of my family.
We still have relatives in Donbass, though right now I don't know if they're alive. They have lived under bombs for over eight years now, hiding in the cellar, going out at night to get some water from the well. My distant cousin's younger child is the same age as mine.
The things she told me were totally hair-raising.
I'm absolutely devastated by the war. My elderly mother lives in Russia, I haven't seen her for over two years due to Covid, and most likely I will never see her again. She is heartbroken. Her childhood hometown is completely erased now.
I'm absolutely numb. Numb with grief. My people are killing my people.
The amount of disinformation is beyond crazy, on both sides. I read both Russian and Ukrainian forums and platforms, and agree with one of the posters above, the newsfeed is very selective here.
You cannot justify the war, that's obvious, but the amount of fake news spread over here is staggering.
For the rest of my lifetime I would be considered an enemy by many people here just because I was born in Russia.
My younger DS has already been trolled in school. He's never even visited Russia, we speak English at home (my DH is from a different European country).
I received hate email already, with photos of the dead bodies, saying it's my fault and responsibility, and that every Russian family will have coffins with their dead boys arriving soon.
What's the next move, to send all the British Russians to the camps like they did with the "alien enemies" during the WWI and WWII?

I agree that what we're seeing is propaganda from both sides - the Ukrainian story is being carefully managed, with the images of brave civilians fighting and barricading their towns.

I'm sure there are other stories of Ukrainian aggression that we're not being told about in detail.

But the facts are undeniable - indiscriminate bombing of civilians, attacking the evacuation routes, the apparently unprovoked attack and threats to use nuclear and chemical weapons. Those are all real - we've heard Putin say it himself.

Have friends who are Russian with family still in Russia. Middle class businesspeople. One used to support Putin but has been fairly openly critical of Russia and its government for some years. They are shocked, appalled and desperate for impartial information.

They are going to be badly hurt by sanctions but can see why they are being imposed. They just want Russia to turn round and get out of Ukraine. They absolutely think it was an appalling act of war.