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Six months later, the Russians were divided over the Ukraine conflict

#months #Russians #divided #Ukraine #conflict

For some it was “necessary,” for others it’s a source of “sadness” — six months after Moscow launched its offensive in Ukraine, many Russians remain divided over the conflict.

In and around Moscow ahead of the anniversary this week, some expressed support for what Russia is calling its “military special operation” in its pro-Western neighbour, while others expressed deep regret at the suffering it had caused.

But everyone agreed that they hoped the fighting would end soon.

“I am very sad for the Ukrainians. They are suffering in vain, they have done nothing wrong,” Dmitry Romanenko, a 35-year-old IT specialist, told AFP on the streets of central Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to send troops to Ukraine on February 24 has turned the lives of many Russians upside down.

The country’s economy has fared better than some expected in the face of devastating Western sanctions, but many ordinary Russians have been hit hard by the exit of foreign firms and runaway inflation.

Cut off from the rest of the world by travel and flight restrictions, many Russians also feel deeply isolated.

There are signs of public support for Russia’s actions in Moscow, with stickers in the windows of some cars bearing the letter “Z” – the symbol of Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

But in the center of the Russian capital, which is widely regarded as less conservative than other parts of the country, most residents polled by AFP were critical of the conflict and its impact.

– ‘All suffer’ –

Romanenko, who sports a thick beard and is covered in tattoos on his arms and neck, said the start of the military campaign marked the end of his existence in Russia.

“It destroyed everything I did, my whole business. I was in startups and all of my eight projects were destroyed,” he said.

Walking nearby in a colorful patterned dress and white hat, retired art critic Valentina Byalik, 83, said it was clear “everything has changed”.

“We belong to a generation whose childhood was spent in war. And it’s very sad that our old age is also being spent in the war,” she said.

“Even though we live far from the military operations, we feel deep sorrow for the people who are dying, regardless of their nationality.”

The increasing isolation of the Russians is particularly difficult, said Byalik.

“The fact that a great country is now isolated, that everyone hates that country… that’s very bitter for us,” she said.

Dmitry Nalivayko, a 34-year-old waiter with a ribbon in the colors of the Russian flag on his backpack, said it was “wrong” for ordinary people to become involved in the conflict.

“Let the politicians fight, not the people who suffer. Everyone is suffering,” he said.

Other Russians are ready to vehemently support the military campaign.

Many of them recently attended an army forum on the outskirts of the capital, where the country’s latest military equipment was on display.

– ‘Everything will be fine’ –

Strolling in front of a line of tanks wearing white “Z” shirts, Vladimir Kozov, 33, and his mother Olga, 55, said it was Russia’s duty to support pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s eastern Donbass region.

“We must help them, even at the cost of our lives,” she said, while Vladimir denounced “nationalism” in Ukraine as “the most dangerous threat of our time.”

“It was necessary,” Mikhail Nikitin, a 35-year-old IT specialist, said at the forum.

“Sooner or later we will win anyway and after that everything will be fine.”

Although the conflict has dragged on much longer than many expected, those who supported Russian military action said they had no doubts about its outcome.

“I think our people will win after all. Peace will be restored between Russia and Ukraine because we have been friendly countries all our lives,” said Nadezhda Josan, a 35-year-old manager of a cleaning company, at the forum.

“We hope that everything will end soon. And everything will be fine.”

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