WAR ON UKRAINE - Media Insights #6

6 - 12 June 2022

17.06.2022

Media Monitoring Press News Disinformation Ukraine

Between 6-12 June, we monitored Russian state media to detect their main war & propaganda narratives, as well as the independent international media to assess their coverage of the Russian war in Ukraine and anti-war/peace protests.

Between May and October 2022, we will be issuing a weekly newsletter containing the results of our monitoring, looking at the main propaganda narratives detected on Russian media during the week. This will be complemented by news from independent international media sources to distribute these insights outside the country. The newsletter will include main spotlights from Russian and international news coverage focusing on relevant information, key propaganda and disinformation narratives, statistics, quotes, interviews, expert opinions, independent views, as well as other pertinent developments. This is the sixth issue of the newsletter covering the period 6-12 June. All previous issues (since the beginning of monitoring on 4 May) can be found on our website.

You can subscribe to the public newsletter Media Insights – War on Ukraine here.

Main Events and Updates

Between 6 and 12 June, the monitored Russian media reported on:

Putin compared himself to Peter the Great who was “returning” lands by waging wars;
The embargo on Russian oil and other sanctions against Russia will heavily hit EU economies, while Russia will benefit;
Foreign mercenaries unsuccessfully fight in Ukraine with three death penalties;
The Ukrainian army and territorial defense units have been discredited by their actions (from rape by military superiors to “throwing a woman-cook under the tanks”);
Russia is ready to issue guarantees for the safety of grain exports from Ukrainian ports, but Ukraine refuses to demine the Odessa port;
First Russian passports issued in “liberated” Kherson and Melitopol;
Russia’s Independence Day on 12 June is a celebration of the “liberated” territories.

In the same period, international media coverage of the war focused on:

UN Security Council meeting;
Consequences of sanctions within the EU;
Trial and death penalty for foreign mercenaries;
Putin’s comparison of himself to Peter the Great;
Documentation of war crimes and crimes against humanity with new technologies;
Ukraine asks for more heavy weapons and for formal ‘EU candidate’ status;
Grim reality in the occupied territories; Mariupol may face a cholera outbreak.

Photos of the Week

(6 June, Guardian)

A student wearing her prom dress poses for a photo among the ruins of her school destroyed in Russian shelling on 27 February 27, in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (8 June, Guardian; Photo - Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Quotes of the Week

“What was he [NOTE: Peter the Great] doing?” Putin said. “Taking back and reinforcing. That’s what he did. And it looks like it fell on us to take back and reinforce as well.” (9 June, Washington Post)

"I hate them. They are bastards and scums. They want to kill us, Russia. And as long as I am alive, I will do everything to make them disappear,” Ex-President of Russia and current Deputy Head of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitriy Medvedev expressing his hate for the “enemies of Russia”. (7 June, his Telegram channel)

“Ultimately, Putin is staring down the world, hoping that we will blink first. But we cannot do that.” President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, called for European unity in the face of Russian aggression. (10 June, New York Times [NYT])

Media Insights

What were the main narratives on Russian state media?

Main TV talk-shows

6 June, Russia 1/Smotrim - 60 minutes [NOTE: de facto 136 min]

Key remarks:

The host, Skabeeva, on Putin’s warning: if Washington starts supplying Kyiv [NOTE: Putin avoids saying Ukraine, as Kyiv is widely and commonly refered to as the “Kyiv regime”] with long-range missiles, Moscow will strike at targets it has previously refrained from attacking. Putin stressed that supplying weapons to Kyiv only prolongs the conflict;
Under the onslaught of our army, Ukrainian Nazis were forced to retreat back 20 km;
According to the German intelligence cited by Spiegel, the Russian army can take all of Donbas by August;
MI6 British intelligence also notes the advance of the Russian army near Slovyansk, where are we trying to encircle a large formation of Ukrainian militants;
Under powerful strikes of Russian artillery and military jets, there are no chances to escape denazification;
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lavrov emphasized that the more weapons Ukrainian Nazis receive, the further we will have to move them away from our borders;
Ukraine has no more professional NATO-trained soldiers (all were already killed);
Russians brought all of their artillery to Donbas, and this is how they win;
There is not a chance that Ukrainians ever will win or destroy Russians;
According to the West, Russia’s superiority over Ukraine in artillery and tanks is 11 to 1;
British PM Boris Johnson announced that Britain would give Kyiv new military systems, able to reach Crimea, Belgorod, Donetsk and Luhansk;
German Chancellor is hesitant to ship tanks to Ukraine, is afraid of parallels with Hitler;
If German tanks arrive, then our tanks can justify reaching Berlin

10 June, Russia 1/Smotrim - Evening with Vladimir Solovyov
[NOTE: The host, Vladimir Solovyov, opens the show with concerns from Western politicians about the death penalty for British mercenaries taken in captivity in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (one Moscow’s puppet republics). Given that DPR is not recognized by democratic governments, western leaders now seek negotiations with Russia.]

Key remarks:

The host emphasized that the legitimacy of the so-called DPR and LNR is more credible than the legitimacy of the Kyiv regime, which came to power because of a 2014 coup;
Russia has no means to impact LNR and DPR legal systems and court proceedings. They are independent republics;
Solovyov’s disrespectful comments about Liz Truss and attempts to free British nationals and teaming up with Kyiv: “They sat in a row and howled like/with the cauldron. They wept, cried and were unnerved. They can’t call Putin now because they were arrogant toward him. Boris Johnson can’t. … Liz Trass can call Tatars or Mongols, as she is a specialist on these topics. There will be more captives, so now what they can do is to sooner get rid of Russia”.

Response to political and economic sanctions against Russia

The embargo on Russian oil heavily hits the European Union economies
Referring to Bloomberg, the Russia 24 report claims that European diplomats have begun to realize what price they will have to pay for anti-Russian sanctions, namely inflation and economic recession, while Russian oil revenues have grown – more than 40 billion dollars was received last month. Allegedly, around 10,000 pubs will close in Great Britain because of the growth of prices for energy carriers. (7 June, Russia 24)

Inflation is called after my name, Putin
“Inflation is called after my name” Putin joked at the meeting with young entrepreneurs hinting at the growing petroleum prices in the Western countries. “They are trying to restrict our fertilizers – and their prices are soaring. They are trying to restrict our energy carriers – the prices soared to the skies.” (9 June, Russia 24)

Abandonment of Russian oil and gas will lead to an unprecedented economic crisis in Europe, while Russia will benefit
Russia 24’s report warns that the ban on Russian oil by the EU countries will lead to soaring oil prices and a crisis – more than 150 USD for a barrel in the next few months. Serbia already assesses its prospective losses as 60 billion USD a year. The report also warns of dire consequences for the US economy. Meanwhile, Russia has already found alternative markets, such as India and China, while other Asian countries, such as Vietnam, have also expressed their interests. (9 June, Russia 24)

Zelensky has imposed sanctions on Putin, and Russian ministers – and Lavrov compared him to a child
On June 9, the Ukrainian President signed a decree imposing sanctions on the Russian President and other top officials, including Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, and Deputy Prime Ministers Andrei Belousov and Tatiana Golikova. Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov commented on the sanctions: “Аny bauble of folly will keep baby jolly” and said Russia would not respond with personal sanctions. (10 June, Ren TV). A Duma deputy from Crimea, Mikhail Sheremet, said: These sanctions are staggering in their hypocrisy, cynicism, meanness and cowardice. It's a stupid thing to do.” (10 June, Ren TV)

The frontline

The Ukrainian army had heavy losses and lost 300 “nationalists” near Sviatogorsk
The Ukrainian grouping in Donbass suffers significant losses in manpower, weapons, and military equipment. During the liberation of Sviatogorsk in the Donetsk People's Republic in three days of fighting alone, Ukrainian troops lost more than 300 nationalists, said Konashenkov, representative of the Defense Ministry. (8 June, NTV)

The West has started to realize that Russia will win in the conflict
Referring to the British Independent, Russia 24 report claims that Ukrainian forces are facing huge losses and defection, and the West is starting to realize that Russia will win in the military conflict. “Ukrainian forces are outgunned up to 40 to one by Russian forces”, - writes the Independent based on intelligence reports. The Ukrainian army is also not qualified to use the modern weapons supplied by the West, and these weapons are not effective in real war. (9 June, Russia 24)

Supply of Western weapons to Ukraine

Russia may strike at the transport infrastructure and state institutions in Ukraine
In response to the delivery of long-range missiles and modern artillery to Ukraine, Russia may strike at the transport infrastructure and state institutions in Ukraine, said Andrei Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Committee. (6 June, NTV)

Military supplies to Ukraine led to the development of a black market in Europe, Zakharova
Mariya Zakharova claimed that military supplies to Ukraine led to the development of a black market for weapons, including in Western Europe. The authorities of the supplying countries have remained silent on the problem so far, but independent experts and specialized structures, such as Interpol, are already starting to sound the alarm, she added. (8 June, NTV)

Germany to supply howitzers to Ukraine
Ukrainian Ambassador to Berlin Oleksiy Melnyk said that the German government has announced the approximate dates for the start of arms supplies to Kyiv. According to him, the Ukrainian army will receive seven howitzers promised by the German authorities on June 22. Another 30 Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft systems are planned to be delivered during the summer - 15 by the end of July, and another 15 by the end of August. (11 June, Gazeta.ru)

Canada says the country has no weapons promised to Ukraine
Canadian Liberal MP Ivan Baker has said that the arms supply to Ukraine put a heavy burden on Canada's budget, and the country has to buy weapons from the United States. According to him, Ottawa has already delivered $200 million worth of weapons to Ukraine, $100 million of which were heavy weapons, including howitzers and their ammunition. Canada also recently agreed to a $400 million military aid package, he added. (11 June, RIA)

Ex-foreign minister of Poland who suggested providing nuclear weapons to Ukraine should be "be examined by a psychiatrist”, Volodin
Ex-foreign minister of Poland Radoslav Sikorski, who suggested presenting Ukraine with nuclear weapons, was slammed by the Speaker of the Russian Parliament Viacheslav Volodin, saying that Sikorski “should be examined by a psychiatrist, give up his mandate, and stay home under supervision." He also added that Sikorski is provoking a nuclear conflict. (12 June, RBC)

Russification and annexation of the “liberated territories”

Russian soldiers brought 100 tons of humanitarian aid to the Kharkiv region
Russian soldiers brought 100 tons of humanitarian aid to the Kharkiv region controlled by the Russian army. The report features a local resident, Sergey, who thanks Putin for the aid and is hoping for a future friendship with Russia. (10 June, Ren TV)

The Day of Russia was celebrated, passports received
23 Kherson citizens were the first to receive Russian passports on 11 June, on the eve of Russia’s Independence Day. (11 June, Ren TV). The first 30 people received Russian passports in Melitopol (a “liberated” town in the Zaporizhzhia region) on the Day of Russia. A woman said to the camera that she was happy because she was finally “home”. (12 June, NTV)

The Day of Russia was celebrated for the first time in Zaporozhizhia. The children waving Russian flags said: “We have been waiting for so long for them to come here to liberate us.” (12 June, Russia 24) [NOTE – The report is misleading as the title says that the Day of Russia is celebrated in Zaporizhzhia, but the footage is from Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia region. Zaporizhzhia itself is not occupied by Russian forces]

Accusations of Ukrainian army

Ukrainian nationalists shell civilians in Donetsk
A journalist of Komsomolskaya Pravda [KP] assumed they were attacking civilians “out of anger and because they will flee soon.” (6 June, KP) According to DNR Head Pushilin, the Ukrainian army is shelling civilians in Donetsk with US howitzers (7 June, NTV). A representative of the DNR militia, E. Basurin, said that the Ukrainians lost 700 soldiers and therefore started to attack civilians. (7 June, KP)

Ukrainian nationalists deliberately lit fire to large grain storage in Mariupol
According to the Defense Ministry representative Mizintsev, the fire destroyed 50,000 tons of grain, and the Ukrainian regime used the method of “food terrorism”. (8 June, NTV)

Looming world food crisis

Russia and Turkey will elaborate on new ways to supply Ukrainian grain
During Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Turkey, Russia and Turkey will discuss new ways to supply Ukrainian grain via the Azov Sea. The experts featured in the Russia 24 report called to lift the sanctions against Belarus and use Belarus as a possible route for grain export. The West (French and US producers) is allegedly using negative warnings about the looming world crisis in order to make money on it, as the ton of wheat is now around 400 EUR. (7 June, Russia 24)

Russia is ready to issue guarantees for the safety of grain exports from Ukrainian ports
“We guarantee the safety of this kind of route and guarantee that when and if Ukraine goes to mines’ clearance and allows the withdrawal of ships from its ports, we will not take advantage of this situation in the interests of the special military operation being conducted” - Lavrov said in Turkey (8 June, NTV). He reiterated that Zelensky is unwilling to demine the Black Sea.

Nebenzia left the UN Security Council after accusations against Russia
Russia's Permanent President to the United Nations (UN) Vasily Nebenzia has left the Security Council chamber after European Council President Charles Michel's unsubstantiated accusations against Moscow. It is reported that Michel accused Russia of engineering and weaponizing a global food crisis. Additionally, he accused Russia of allegedly blocking Ukrainian ports and stealing grain (6 June, RIA Novosti [RIA])

The Baltics

Lithuanian consulate in Kaliningrad supports Satanists
Russia 24’s report titled, “Satan in Lithuanian style”, claims that the Lithuanian consulate in Kaliningrad supports a “Satanist artist”, Marina Abramovic because they invited her to the festival. Abramovic is allegedly a “Satanist who has for a long time already cooperated with the West and the USA, conducting feasts for the elite imitating cannibalism. The confectionery there is made in the form of human bodies or corpses,” according to Maksim Makarov, head of the Russian community in the Kaliningrad region. The festival in Kaliningrad will promote Satanism, Nazism and LGBT+ together, according to the report. (6 June, Russia 24)

A Serbian artist Marina Abramovic during one of her performances.

MP Fedorov proposed to withdraw recognition of Lithuanian independence
United Russia deputy Yevgeny Fedorov submitted to the State Duma a draft law on the abolition of the resolution of the USSR State Council "On Recognizing the Independence of the Republic of Lithuania", which states that it is illegal. The document is available in the Duma database. The resolution of the State Council of the USSR is illegal since it was adopted by an unconstitutional body and in violation of the requirements of a number of articles of the USSR Constitution, the explanatory note to the draft says. (8 June, RIA)

Foreign mercenaries in Ukraine

The Supreme Court of DNR proclaimed the death penalty for foreign mercenaries
The Supreme Court of DNR announced charges for two British and one Moroccan national. They are accused of being “mercenary” and “commitment of crimes by a group of persons” (7 June, NTV). On 9 June, the court passed the death sentence on them. (9 June, NTV)

Ukraine continues to recruit foreign mercenaries, but a training center was destroyed
Ukraine continues to recruit foreign mercenaries, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. (8 June, Ren TV) Meanwhile, high-precision missiles have allegedly destroyed a training center for mercenaries near Novograd Volynskyi. (9 June, Russia 24)

What did independent media say about the main topics?

International bodies on the war and situation in Ukraine

UN envoy on sexual violence in Ukraine says she thinks the situation "is turning into a human trafficking crisis"
UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence Pramila Patten said Monday that she believes the humanitarian situation in Ukraine is “turning into a human trafficking crisis... Women and children fleeing the conflict are being targeted for trafficking and exploitation – in some cases facing further exposure to rape and other risks while seeking refuge,” Patten told the UN Security Council in New York City on Monday. (6 June, CNN)

UN watchdog warns of "clear and present risk" at the nuclear power plant
There is a “clear and present risk to the safety, security and safeguards” at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently controlled by Russia, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Monday. Rafael Mariano Grossi, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that “at least five of the seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety and security have been compromised at the site.” (6 June, CNN)

OSCE’s botched withdrawal from Ukraine
The signs had been there for weeks, if not months: Russian forces were massing around Ukraine, painting Zs and Vs on their military vehicles; Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric was getting more and more bellicose, and Western intelligence agencies were warning that an invasion was imminent. But the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the world’s largest security body, was caught napping. (10 June, Politico)

On consequences of sanctions

European unity on Ukraine growing more difficult, says Estonian PM
The Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas has warned that in the face of the war’s impact on inflation and living standards across the continent, European unity over the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is proving difficult to maintain. Kaja Kallas also criticized the words of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, for trying to provide Vladimir Putin with a diplomatic way out of the conflict. Kallas who still remembers growing up in the USSR times said: “We are at a point when sanctions start to hurt our side”, but added: “Gas might be expensive, but freedom is priceless. People living in the free world do not really understand that.” (6 June, Guardian)

Boris Johnson blamed Putin for the cost of living crisis in the UK
UK Prime minister claimed that Ukraine’s conflict was largely to blame for a significant spike in energy prices that is fueling rising costs in Britain. Johnson said he was aware there may be some who argue that the price of supporting Ukrainians is now "too high, and they should be encouraged to accept whatever terms Putin may ask" but compared the Russian leader to a crocodile who would "simply come back for more" if allowed to take what he wants from Ukraine. On the question of imposing a "bad peace" on Ukraine, by granting Russia territorial concessions, Johnson denounced this as "morally repugnant". (9 June, BBC)

About Russia

No regrets over handling of Putin, says Angela Merkel
The former German chancellor has said she feels no regrets for her handling of Vladimir Putin during her time in power, arguing that Russia’s president would have perceived a 2008 NATO membership plan for Ukraine that was blocked by her government as a “declaration of war”. (7 June, Guardian). She added that Ukraine itself was not ready. "That wasn't the Ukraine we know today," she added. "The country was not stable, it was riddled with corruption." (7 June, BBC) The former chancellor has also insisted she had not been naive in her dealings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, reports Deutsche Welle. "Diplomacy isn't wrong just because it hasn't worked," she said. However, she never believed he could be won over by trade promises. "Military deterrence is the only language he understands." (7 June, DW)

Restoration of empire is the endgame for Russia's Putin
Putin’s Russia stands ready to expand the vision of “what is ours”. A draft bill recently submitted to the Russian State Duma questioned the independence of Lithuania. (9 June, Euractiv)

Russian President Vladimir Putin paid tribute to Tsar Peter the Great on the 350th anniversary of his birth, drawing a parallel between what he portrayed as their twin historic quests to win back Russian lands. “Peter the Great waged the Great Northern War for 21 years. It would seem that he was at war with Sweden, he took something from them. He did not take anything from them, he returned (what was Russia’s),” Putin said after visiting an exhibition dedicated to the tsar. (10 June, Euractiv.com). As reported by CNN, it didn't matter that European countries didn't recognize Peter the Great's seizure of territory by force, Putin added. (11 June, CNN)

On the frontline

The situation changes "every hour" as heavy fighting continues in Severodonetsk
Oleksandr Striuk, the head of the city's military administration, said, "there are enough [Ukrainian] forces and means to recapture the city. There are fierce battles and street fights." Striuk said Russian forces had a substantial numerical advantage. "They tried to attack the city, and it is happening now. They are throwing away more and more human resources, which of course complicates the situation," the official said. (6 June, CNN)

Milley equates ‘horrors’ in Ukraine with suffering during World War II
Speaking on the anniversary of D-Day, the top Pentagon general drew a direct comparison between Russia’s invasion of its neighbor and a conflict fought on the beaches of Normandy decades ago. (6 June, WP)

Kyiv asks for more rocket systems as Kremlin warns of potential strikes in Russia
The US and Britain recently announced plans to provide Kyiv with multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS), which can hit targets up to 50 miles away. Washington is dispatching four M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, commonly known as HIMARS, though Ukrainian troops need at least three weeks of training to use them, the Pentagon said. Britain confirmed Monday that it would send an unspecified number of M270 launch systems to Ukraine. (7 June, WP)

Nearly 600 people 'detained in torture chambers' in Kherson
Ukraine has accused the Russian army of abducting residents in the Kherson region and keeping them in “torture chambers”. Tamila Tacheva, the Ukrainian president’s permanent representative in Crimea, said: “According to our information, about 600 people are detained in specially equipped basements, in torture chambers, in the Kherson region.” Those being detained are “mainly journalists and activists” who organized “pro-Ukrainian rallies in Kherson and its region” after Russian troops occupied the territory, as well as prisoners of war. (7 June, Guardian)

The exiled Kherson mayor portrays a grim picture, Mariupol can be struck by cholera
Ihor Kolykhaiev, the exiled mayor of Kherson, said that thousands of residents had lost their jobs and their sources of income. “Cafes and summer food courts, which we’ve always had plenty of, are now closed,” he added. People have not been able to get a Ukrainian cellphone signal for more than a week. In Mariupol, even basic medical needs are not being met. According to the British Defense Ministry, a lack of clean water, the destruction of the sanitation system and the collapse of the health care system could fuel an outbreak of cholera. According to the city’s mayor, Russia has demolished 1,300 high-rise buildings in the city of Mariupol without removing the dead bodies of residents. (11 June, Guardian)

10,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed in 100 days of war, Arestovych
Presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych admitted in an interview that Ukraine lost 10,000 soldiers in the first 100 days of the war. The Ukrainian government estimates that Russian troops have lost three times more – around 30,000 soldiers. The estimate by UK intelligence is lower – more than 15,000. (11 June, BBC)

On Russia’s war crimes

A crypto-based dossier could help prove Russia committed war crimes
Together with a team of human rights experts and specialist lawyers, Starling Lab, a research center affiliated with Stanford University and the USC Shoah Foundation, submitted evidence of the Russian army’s attack on a school in Kharkiv and four others on 10 June to the International Criminal Court, which has opened an investigation into allegations of war crimes in Ukraine in the months following Russia's invasion in late February. Starling's dossier isn't a typical exhibit. Instead, the group's submission will feature publicly available online information that's been preserved and verified using the blockchain technology behind cryptocurrencies, in what it says is the first submission of evidence of its kind to any court of law. (10 June, CNN)

On looming food crisis

Russia’s ambassador walked out of a U.N. Security Council meeting
Russia’s U.N. ambassador walked out of an Security Council meeting while being directly addressed by Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, who accused Russia of engineering and weaponizing a global food crisis. Charles Michel wrote on his Twitter: You may leave the room, maybe it's easier not to listen to the truth, dear Ambassador #Nebenzia. He said at the UN Security Council: “Russia is solely responsible for this food crisis. Despite its campaign of lies”. (6 June, NYT)

Ukraine will not demine the port of Odesa
Ukraine said it would not demine the Black Sea waters around the port city of Odesa for grain to be exported due to the ongoing threat of Russian attacks on the city. Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odesa regional government, said, "The moment we clear access to the port of Odessa, the Russian fleet will be there." Before Russia's invasion on February 24, Ukraine was the world's fourth-largest exporter of wheat and supplied half the sunflower seeds and oil in the world. (8 June, DW)

Ukraine’s bid to join the EU

Von der Leyen makes a surprise visit to Kyiv to discuss Ukraine’s EU bid
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made a surprise visit to Kyiv, the second trip to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion, to discuss Ukraine’s bid to join the EU with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “The discussions today will enable us to finalize our assessment by the end of next week,” Von der Leyen told Zelenskyy in Kyiv. (11 June, Euractiv)

Von der Leyen sees Commission opinion on Ukraine’s EU bid in coming days
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen traveled to Kyiv on Saturday to discuss Ukraine’s bid to join the EU with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Von der Leyen, on her second visit to Kyiv since Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine, indicated that the Commission should be able to complete its assessment of whether the country should be granted candidate status to join the EU within the coming week. (11 June, Politico)

Anti-war / Peace protests

Artists protest in Moscow devoted to Russia’s Independence Day
A tricolor anti-war banner was hung in front of the Ministry of Defense in Moscow with the inscription "Today is not my day". Anonymous Moscow artists distributed a statement noting that the action was timed to coincide with Russia Day. The holiday also called "Russia's Independence Day," is celebrated on June 12, the day the Declaration of State Sovereignty was adopted in 1990.

"The triumphant summaries of state TV channels, infographics of polls adjusted for "wartime" and the results of referendums at gunpoint inevitably create only a hastily stitched tricolor illusion of the new Russian world, in which each of us is its guide. This is an erroneous optics. Today is simply not our day. Our Independence Day, which we will certainly celebrate soon enough, will be a day of independence from imperial ambitions," reads the artists' statement. (12 June, Telegram channel of Novaya Gazeta Europe)



“Our people have simply gone ferocious” - Anti-war protest in Veliky Novgorod
This article elaborates on a few anti-war protests carried out in Veliky Novgorod this spring. The most known of them is a protest by Anton Gorban, who covered himself with the Ukrainian flag and pretended he was a dead body in Bucha and other towns occupied by Russians in Ukraine. The protest took place in April but was reported by RFL now. (9 June, Sever.Reality/RFL)


(Photo: Anton Gorban courtesy)

Other known personalities
A writer Dmitriy Glukhovskyi, an author of the bestselling anti-utopia “Metro”, was arrested in absentia and put on the “wanted” list for discrediting the Russian army. (7 June, KP)

Moscow's chief Rabbi, Swiss-born Pinchas Goldschmidt, left Russia after feeling pressure to endorse the Russian invasion. Goldschmidt has served as the chief rabbi of Moscow since 1993. He also leads a large rabbinical organization in Europe. New York-based journalist Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt tweeted that her in-laws, Rabbi and Dara Goldschmidt "have been put under pressure by authorities to support the 'special operation' in Ukraine - and refused." (8 June, DW)



A journalist of “Novaya Gazeta” Ilya Azar, was fined 60,000 RUB for discrediting the Russian army, reports RBC. “Novaya Gazeta. Europa” writes that the reason for this fine was an anti-war Facebook post. The journalist himself commented to RBC that he was not surprised by the court's decision. "On the contrary, I am happy that I was finally included in the list of the most dignified people in the country, which now consists of those fined under Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code for discrediting the Russian army," Azar said. (10 June, RBC)



Russian musical band “Nogu Svelo”, whose leader Maks Pokrovskyi now lives in the USA, has released a music video called “Ukraina” (Ukraine). The song lists the cities that suffered from shelling - Odessa, Kiev, Kharkiv, Mariupol and Bucha.

Celebrities against the war

Spain has recently issued postage stamps in support of Ukraine. "It may seem that the postage stamp can’t change anything. But it is a symbol of the attention to our struggle that millions of people will see," Zelenskyi said in his address. (6 June, NYT)

A Hollywood actress of Ukrainian origin Mila Jovovich has recorded an emotional video address to Ukrainians, saying she wants to send a message of love and support to Ukrainian people in these horrifying times of their history. (10 June, Novini Politics)

Here is the Russian version of the newsletter #6

Download

A comprehensive infoportal on the 2023 parliamentary elections in Slovakia.

Visit infovolby.sk