The depressed Russian protester, addressed Putin: Stop, you fascist bastard, come back

On the morning of February 24, Russians like the rest of the world woke up with news that their country occupied Ukraine, a neighboring country with which millions of Russians have close family ties.

These developments occurred after months of military gathering, during which Russian society was silent, driven by distrust and filled with fear of revenge by President Vladimir Putin's government, which has intensified the crackdown on civil society and disagreement over the past year.

I am against any war, especially with Ukraine”, said a man in the southern town of Rostov, when asked about Putin's decision to attack Ukraine.

I can't judge because I wasn't there, but they should have done everything that was possible to maintain peace”, this man told Time Current.

A woman in the same town said she saw war “as something negative”.

But since we were forced, I think our president is doing everything correctly”, she said, before turning to the journalist and asking: “

Shortly before the beginning of the invasion, sociologist Alexei Levinson of the independent polling agency Guada Centerı told Radio Free Europe that public opinion in Russia was dominated by “fears from war”, which was not at the level of “anti-war”.

Time is the Russian-language network led by Radio Free Europe in collaboration with the Voice of America

In Russia, we are not seeing public manifestations of anti-war”, he said.

There are no demonstrations or anything. There are individual statements in the social media, but they come mainly from those social groups, from which such” reactions can be expected, he said.

He added that many Russians were convinced that a fight against Ukraine would be brief and would not include a large number of victims.

“They are not afraid of war because they think it will not be done on Russian territory”, he said.

“So far, they do not think that (the fight against Ukraine) will be accompanied by massive losses”.

According to a poll released on February 23rd, three-quarters of Russians supported Putin's decision to recognise separatist entities in eastern Ukraine, while nearly four-five supported the president's decision to sign co-operation agreements with them these leading the way to war.

On February 24, however, small anti-war demonstrations took place in cities throughout Russia.

I went out today because I don't want to be part of an aggressor”, Dmitry Grun, a citizen in Omsk, told Siberia Free Europe Radio.

“want to live in a normal country, a country that is peaceful and future-oriented”, he said.

Despite snowfall, lawyer Denis Rudenko stood alone in Saratov, with a sign in his hand writing: “Putin is a war criminal”.

Marina Litvinovich, journalist and activist operating in Moscow, called for mass protests across Russia, trying to boost enthusiasm for <x0 minus the war”.

I know that now many of you are feeling feelings of despair and powerlessness for Vladimir Putin's attack on a people who are friendly to us”, she said in a video statement.

But I urge you not to despair, and I call you that tonight at 7:00 p.m., you should come out to the main squares of your city to say clearly that we, the people of Russia, are against this war Putin has created... do not be afraid of”, she said further.

This was one of the few calls for mass protests heard in Russia.

Shortly after Litvinovich posted the video, she was stopped by police outside her home.

In an interview for the Russian-based Meduza media . . director of the Levada Centre, Denis Volkov, said the Kremlin has skillfully convinced many Russians that Russian aggression against Ukraine is not between Russia and Ukraine, but between Russia and the United States.

“America is guilty of everything”, he said, paraphrasing the torture presented by state officials and media.

It's not Ukraine, it's America and the West. They are pushing Ukraine for a plot against the separatists backed by Russia and Moscow should come to their aid, because they speak Russian and, in short, are our people”, he said.

CNN released a poll on February 23rd, under which 50 per cent of Russians agreed that it would be acceptable to use the military force in Ukraine “to prevent Kiev's membership in NATO”, while only 25 per cent said it would be wrong.

In addition, civil society in Russia has changed greatly since 2008, when Russia waged a brief battle with Georgia or in 2014 when Moscow invaded the Ukrainian Crimea region and promoted separatist war in parts of eastern Ukraine.

In March and September 2014, tens of thousands of Russians took to the streets in large demonstrations opposing Russian aggression against Ukraine.

The demonstrations were led by opposition leaders like Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead outside the Kremlin in February 2015, and Alexei Navlany, who was arrested in January last year.

Independent media and other organisations have been obstructed or closed calling it <x0 foreign agents” and unwanted “organisation”.

Activists and some journalists have either been frightened or forced out of the country. Analysts say Russian authorities ignore media reporting, which are targeted by the government.

On February 24th, the state media monitoring agency in Russia, Roskomnadzor, ordered Russian media reporting Ukraine's invasion to cover “with information and facts taken from Russian official sources”, threatening fines or jams.

For the Russian people, any form of anti-war rhetoric means danger, at least you can lose your job”, journalist Kiril Martynov told Romania before the invasion of Ukraine.

The worst possible “risks freedom or life. At the moment, there is no critical measure in Russian society that would be willing to risk the life of”, he said.

In social media, many liberal Russians have distributed their objections.

“It's too late to place tracts”, wrote Moscow-based journalist Varya Gornosateeva.

Our country must save itself from this lunatic who will bury us all in ruins. And we must protect Ukraine, where our friends, relatives and people live that we have never considered enemies. We have an enemy, Putin”.

“We, Russians, Russia, will never wash this shame”, the activist, Valerry Solovei, wrote. “This fatal decision has been made according to our lack of resistance”.