Thread by @julia_kanin

I want to make a short 🧵following Russia's retreat from the territories it had under its control for the past few weeks. I want you to read very carefully so you can understand the implications of these events and what it means for the civilian Ukrainians living there.

As AFU advances through the cities as a hot knife through butter, keep in mind who is coming right behind them: punitive detachments. The campaign to start weeding out those who were loyal to Russia started early on:

Ukrainian telegram channels asked to share information on “collaborates and traitors” so they could “face prosecution.” What does “prosecution” entail? It doesn’t mean what you think it means. It’s not being arrested to face a fair trial and having legal representation.

Forget about it, the judicial system in Ukraine is long dead. It’s the usual tools national battalions and SBU use: torture, intimidation, gruesome death.

You don’t believe me? Take a look. This is the head of administration in Ivanivka village in the Kharkiv region appointed by Russian Forces. Does this look like a routine legal process to you?

Just a few days ago one of Zelensky’s advisers, Oleksiy Arestovich, said the following: “They’re all next. A person who joins our enemy’s side has to understand that he signs a death sentence to himself...

...And if not the Ukrainian government, then guerillas won’t forgive and catch up with him.” He said it calmly, without any hint of indignancy. He approves it. The regime approves it.

Ukrainians already proudly reported that they captured the acting chief of police in Balakliya and accused him of collaborating with Russia. There are reports of several teachers (!) captured in Kupiansk and Balakliya.

And if you want to gloat over that and tell that these people deserve it for some reason, then you want to physically punish people for the wrongdoing of disagreeing with the regime. That is one of the fundamental reasons why we have this conflict in the first place.

This video caught my attention a couple of weeks ago. I am going to translate to you what this man said.

“While I am alive and well, I just want to say: if I get to Kakhovka, I’m going to f#cking hang all my friends who I grew up with. I won’t even flinch. I’m going to hang some, and some I will just f#cking kill at the spot. It’s only if I get there alive.”

Just think it over and understand what this war is all about. This man is openly saying WHAT he will do to the people he once knew. People who have the same passport, who share his culture, who speak the same language (he spoke Russian, btw).

Their only crime is they don’t agree with him and don’t want to sell their country to foreign entities. If this doesn’t make your blood run cold, I don’t know what can.

There are huge lines of cars at the border near Kharkiv and Belgorod regions. People are trying to flee before the Ukrainian regime comes in to give a lesson on what can happen to those, who willingly got 🇷🇺 passports and greeted 🇷🇺 soldiers just a few weeks ago with open arms.

Don’t act surprised: these folks remember Bucha well and are not eager to participate in the second act. They are fleeing to safety because they DON'T feel safe with the regime controlling these places.

So, to all the armchair warriors and war analysts celebrating Ukraine's victory on the battlefield today: think about what it means for civilian people. What it means for the elderly who can’t leave, for women and children. And pray for them too.

For all the rest who can think clearly: I ask you to answer one simple question. Why are civilian Ukrainians fleeing in panic right now, not wanting to meet their Ukrainian liberators? Perhaps the answer might bring some clarity as to what is at stake here.