Heroic Strength and Devotion: #Azovstal Defenders - Captive Patriots
Today, we want to share the story of incredible bravery and selflessness - the story of the captive defenders of Azovstal.
📸 by Mariupol defender and Azov Regiment's photographer Dmytro (Orest) Kozatsky
These indomitable patriots have shown that true devotion to the Motherland is not dependent on the circumstances you find yourself in. #UW_InfoWatch#AgainstRussianLies
Azovstal was one of the largest metallurgical enterprises in Ukraine, located in Mariupol. Now it is destroyed after regular 🇷🇺 missile attacks while people were hiding in the bomb shelters there.
During unrest and #RussiaUkraineWar, when this peaceful industrial complex became a scene of fierce battles, its defenders found themselves in captivity by the Russian-occupied forces.
Russian propaganda called them "Nazi", "mercenaries", and "bandits" who "simply burned people to the ground to forever hide the names of NATO generals and Western mercenaries".
Today is 1 year since the last 🇺🇦defender left Azovstal and surrendered to Russian captivity.
#Azovstal defenders are true heroes. Not only do they continue defending, but they also spread the message that the spirit of the 🇺🇦 people can`t be broken. They are symbols of free will and devotion, and their actions remind us of the greatness of a nation that can't be subdued.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Russia often claims that Russia is the only country that fought against Nazism and won World War II. However, the reality is that the war affected 61 countries, from 50 to 75 million people were killed. 1/4
Among them are 8-10 million Ukrainians who were affected by the war as civilians and soldiers. This war is a huge tragedy for the whole world and people honor it under the slogan "Never again". 2/4
Photo: Kyiv after the WW2
In its turn, Russia repeats history and begins a new cruel war in Europe invading Ukraine, occupying its territories, and threatening the world with nuclear weapons. "Remembering the feat of granddads" is just a guise for 🇷🇺 imperialist actions, occupation, and war crimes. 3/4
The story of Khrystyna, call sign Kudryava (Curly), who defends Ukraine in the east. #UkraineWorldTestimony
30-year-old Khrystyna has been serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces for 10 years. 1/10
She studied at the Kharkiv National Guard Academy & later underwent international military training. At the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, she was at a combat posting in Luhansk Oblast. 2/10
Since then, as the deputy commander of a mortar battery, she has been defending Ukraine in hot spots like Rubizhne, Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, and Bakhmut. The most difficult thing for Kudryava in this war is the loss of her people. 3/10
To win a war an army should be motivated. The Ukrainian Army has the strongest motivation possible - saving Ukraine and its people. The way the leadership of a country treats an army is also important. Ukrainian and Russian leaderships show striking differences here. 1/6
The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy regularly visits defenders of Ukrainian right near the frontline. His last visit was to Avdiivka on April, 18, just 4 km from the battlefield. 2/6
That's how the leader of the state acts. Despite the risks, he boosts the morale of those who are fighting for the existence of Ukraine. 3/6
❗️ How many Ukrainians have been deported to Russia since February 24th, 2022? What are Russia’s pretexts, methods, and goals for these deportations?
UkraineWorld spoke to Vladyslav Havrylov, researcher at the Where are my people? project, to find out. 1/14
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, says that 2,8 million Ukrainians have been deported to Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion. Non- and semi-official Russian sources report as many as 4,5 million deported Ukrainians, whom 🇷🇺 calls “refugees”. 2/14
To put things into perspective, during the 69 years of the Soviet Union’s existence, the total number of people in ALL Soviet republics subjected to deportations by the Kremlin was 6 million. 3/14
The Counter-offensive by the Armed Forces of #Ukraine is a strategic operation thoroughly planned by the Ukrainian command. Its aim is the liberation of Ukrainian territories taken by #Russian invaders. #UW_InfoWatch#AgainstRussianLies
Every step of the operation, its operational goals, directions, and dates of beginning and ending are up to the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and depend on the current situation on the ground. #RussiaUkraineWar
There are lots of insinuations about when why, and how it's going or not going to happen. It's very important to remember that #Russian propaganda is active in creating many of such insinuations. #Ukrainecounteroffensive
The statement "Russia is a victim of the West" is a common propaganda tactic used by the #Russian officials to justify its aggressive actions and deflect criticism from its own actions. #UW_InfoWatch#AgainstRussianLies
While it is true that Russia has faced significant challenges and hardships over the years, including economic sanctions and political isolation, it is important to recognise that Russia's own actions have contributed to these difficulties.
#Russia has been involved in numerous conflicts and military interventions, including annexing Crimea, support for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine, military operations in Syria, the war in Georgia and a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. #RussiaisATerroistState