People Who Are Living In Russia Right Now As It Invades Ukraine Share What It's Like In 30 Posts

Mike, from Los Angeles, suggested that if anyone sees a stand-alone post from a source that they're unfamiliar with, it's best to "proceed with caution." The same should be done with posts that haven't been verified by the social media platform.

"I would urge the people of Russia to completely ignore the national and local news that is being fed to them within their own country. For Russian citizens, they will actually get a more accurate representation of what’s happening if they turn to the large social media platforms, where people are posting from outside Russia," he said that Russians should strive to get a clearer picture of what is actually going on with the war in Ukraine.

When it comes to posting information about the war on social media, it's vital that the information is correct. "If you’re unsure, don’t post. If you make a mistake, correct it. Double-check your information before posting with legitimate, mainstream, international news organizations. Avoid country-specific outlets," Mike said.

"If you see a post, and you’re unsure of the accuracy, don’t repost or comment. This just feeds the algorithm that could push possibly erroneous information to more people."

Meanwhile, the author of the emotional thread, u/Dull-Caterpillar3153, shared with Bored Panda how they feel about Russia invading Ukraine. "I personally think the situation is utterly horrible. This isn’t something that has been forced. They have chosen to go this way. They have chosen to take innocent lives. Sadly, many of the people in higher positions don’t care for human life in the way most of us do," the redditor said.

"Sadly, it appears that there is not much the Russian people can do. As many of the Russian people in the thread informed me, they have practically no say at all on the situation. Sanctions will have a strong economic impact on the country, however, more protesting could be effective," they said.

"It’s important to note that protesting should be done in a way that does not endanger Russian civilians. A safe and strong method to voice their massive worries about the situation could help the people in power see how out-of-touch they actually are. Some of these people seem totally robotic, however, even if the message gets through to just a few of them, then the protests will have been a success for the people of Russia," the redditor told Bored Panda.

Despite many Russians taking part in anti-war demonstrations, there’s barely any hint of them or the crackdowns against protesters in the local media. Instead, Russians inside the country are bombarded with the Kremlin’s anti-Ukrainian propaganda. Moscow is pulling out all the stops to try and find excuses for the war. Some, unfortunately, wholeheartedly believe the propaganda. Others, however, see the truth of the unprovoked invasion and side with Ukraine.

“The Kremlin has all but crushed Russia's independent media, and is gagging what's left of them. Ten publications got a letter late last week from the country's communications watchdog warning them not to use the words ‘invasion,’ ‘attack’ and ‘declaration of war’ under threat of having access to their publications ‘restricted,’” writes CNN.

The economic sanctions imposed by the West are having a direct and noticeable effect on Russia. The BBC notes that ordinary Russians are also seeing the disruptions caused by the international community isolating the Kremlin.

“Ordinary Russians face seeing their savings wiped out. Their lives are already being disrupted. The sanctions against some Russian banks include cutting them off from Visa and Mastercard, and consequently Apple Pay and Google Pay,” the BBC says.

In response to the new sanctions, Russia doubled its interest rate to 20% on Monday, as the rouble reached new lows. Meanwhile, the country’s stock market is still closed.

CNN points out that the West removed some Russian banks from SWIFT. What’s more, two of Russia’s largest banks—Sberbank and VTB—have been cut off from direct access to the US dollar. Around $1 trillion worth of Russian assets have been frozen by sanctions.