1) Russian propagandists keep seeking "external enemies of the Russian state" to intimidate the Russian population. Recently Russian media started spreading anti-Japan narratives 🇯🇵 @Textyorgua_Eng#GreyZone#AgainstRussianLies
2) One of the narratives is that "Japan is preparing to attack Russia to conquer the Kuril Islands." One of the RU officials recently stated about "intensification of Japan's revanchist aspirations concerning the Kuril Islands by the creation of new military blocs."
3) Russian propagandists also say that "the US wants to fight China with Japan's hands," a narrative similar to what they have said about Ukraine for many years.
4) "In every way, Japan is vulnerable; it has been occupied by the US since the Second World War. The consciousness of the Japanese is wholly changed. They have been fighting for the Kuril Islands for 70 years and hate Russia," a Russian political commentator said.
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Ukraine's key political news today: @ZelenskyyUa fired the head of the SBU (Ukraine's security service) Bakanov, and the Prosecutor General Venediktova. A short thread to explain the possible causes and consequences of this decision 1/7
on SBU: this body needs reform for a long time. Bakanov is a friend of Zelensky, but has not reformed the body since 2019. SBU is often criticized for its role in Ukraine, which goes much wider than the role of the intelligence and counter-intelligence service. 2/7
the question is, however, whether the dismissal of Bakanov will accelerate this reform. 3/7
The story of Anastasia Haydak, who evacuated with her family from Russian-occupied Berdyansk. A thread 1/12 #UkraineWorldTestimony
During the first days of the war, we packed our things and went to my mother's so that we could all be together. Three of us with three animals. Nothing was clear, we were constantly hearing explosions outside the city, and we were following the news nonstop. 2/12
We could not have even imagined that after 2 days of the war, on February 26, the Russians would enter the city and cut us off from the world. On the 26th, they blew up the railway bridge in Vasylivka and bombed the roads, making it impossible for us to leave. 3/12
The story of Nadiia Zviahina from Kyiv, who was evacuated to Poland with her children due to the war. A thread 1/12 #UkraineWorldTestimony
My 2 small children & I were on the evacuation train. Terrible, black, cold. But we're lucky: there were so many scared people but my children had their own shelf (incredible luxury). I was riding on a folding seat and thanked God as my friend & her mother rode on the floor. 2/12
Thank you to the moon and back to the girl Mariia (her house was hit by a rocket). She, seeing that I was already at the end of my strength, took care of my children on the way. Kostyk still remembers her and wants to meet. 3/12
The story of Natalia Zarytska, the wife of a soldier in the Azov regiment, who is currently in Russian captivity. A thread 1/10 #UkraineWorldTestimony
On the first day of the full-scale invasion, my husband was already in Mariupol on duty. In the morning we usually text on my way to work, between 7:50 and 8:20, and ask how the other is doing. But that day he texted me at 5 in the morning: «Baby, hello, this is war». 2/10
For the first 3-4 days of the war, communication with my husband was normal. At the time, Kyiv suffered even more than Mariupol. Later, cell service began to disappear. My husband warned me about it, I knew it was possible. 3/10