War in Ukraine: Resistance in Russia is growing despite harsh reprisals

Created: 02/27/2022, 07:00

By: Astrid Theil

Police arrest a woman during a protest in Moscow.

© Denis Kaminev/AP/dpa

Anyone who speaks out against the Ukraine war in Russia will be harassed in Russia.

Still, resistance is growing across the country.

Moscow – The attack on Ukraine by Russian troops ordered by Vladimir Putin* shocked people worldwide.

In Russia, too, many people are stunned by the invasion.

Resistance to Vladimir Putin's war of aggression can also be seen in the Russian population and is even growing.

Since the beginning of the invasion of Russian troops on Thursday (February 24), there have been demonstrations in numerous Russian cities against the Ukraine war, which will continue on Friday (February 25).

The motto of the protests was "No to war".

Many celebrities in Russia are also showing resistance to Putin's war.

"Fear and pain.

No to the war,” Russian Late Night presenter Ivan Urgant wrote on Instagram, for example.

The well-known Russian comedian Maxim Galkin, husband of the Russian pop icon Alla Borisovna Pugacheva, was appalled by the war of aggression: "How is all this possible?

There must be no war.

No to war!” he was quoted as saying by the American news portal Rawstory.

After reaching the final of a tournament in Dubai on Friday (February 25, 2022), Russian tennis player Andrei Rublev positioned himself against the Ukraine war.

Ukraine war: Celebrities speak out in Russia against the attack on Ukraine

There was also resistance in the Russian media.

For example, the journalist Elena Chernenko, who reports on the Russian Foreign Ministry for the daily newspaper Kommersant, started an anti-war petition.

Russian scientists in turn opposed the attack on Ukraine in an open letter.

Russian rapper Oxxxymiron also used his platform for criticism.

The rapper addressed his two million followers in a video via Instagram.

His message was clear: "I think it's a disaster and a crime".

He was against the war in Ukraine and called for resistance: "The more people express their true attitude towards this war, the sooner we can put an end to this horror".

In doing so, he is trying to promote exactly what Vladimir Putin fears most: a large opposition movement in Russia.

The brutal crackdown on any form of opposition reveals Putin's fear of it.

Even in the current situation, the Russian government took tough action against the protests in the country.

More than 1,700 demonstrators were arrested on the first day of the protests.

According to the civil rights group OVD-Info, on Friday (02/25/2022) at least 500 people were arrested in 26 cities.

This map illustrates where the Ukraine War is raging and this map shows the areas already conquered in the Ukraine War.

Ukraine conflict: Media censorship in Russia: "Military action" instead of "war"

The reprisals also affected the prominent opponents of the Ukraine war.

The American news portal Rawstory reports that Ivan Urgant's TV program was not broadcast as usual on Friday evening (02/25/2022).

The political situation is changing the schedule, said a spokesman for the Interfax news agency.

The journalist Tschernenko was also sanctioned for her petition: According to her own statements, she was removed from the press pool of the Foreign Ministry because of "lack of professionalism".

Media content in particular has been strictly controlled by the Russian government in recent days.

The Russian authorities speak of a military operation in connection with the Ukraine war and are taking action against the use of the word "war" in the media.

Access to certain media is also restricted: In a large residential and work complex in the center of Moscow, where many diplomats and foreign correspondents live and work alongside Russian officials, foreign television stations have not been available for days.

The building management justified this with an alleged failure of the satellite systems and offered to activate Russian state broadcasters.

All information about the background of the Ukraine crisis*.

Despite oppression: resistance among the population is growing

Despite the suppression of the protest movement* in recent days, more and more Russians are petitioning Vladimir Putin for an immediate end to the war against Ukraine.

"We, Russian doctors, nurses and paramedics, are firmly against acts of war carried out by the Russian armed forces on the territory of Ukraine," said a petition with more than 300 signatures.

In addition, numerous aid organizations have published an open letter to Putin asking him to end the war.

All information about the Ukraine conflict in our news ticker.