People attend a demonstration in support of Ukraine, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, at Trafalgar Square in London. Russians abroad have been concerned as they face threats despite not being responsible for the Russian invasion of Ukraine (Image: Reuters)
Russians in UK spoke to Sky News and expressed concern that they face threats after Russia declared war in Ukraine
Russians living abroad have complained that they have faced xenophobic attacks. People speaking to UK-based news agency Sky News shared experiences of Russians or Russian-speaking citizens who are not Russians who claim that they have faced xenophobic attacks following Russia’s ‘military operation’ in Ukraine.
The war in Russia is the largest ever security crisis Europe has faced since the second World War but the war also has led to debates regarding sanctions, media coverage of war in Ukraine compared to coverage of war in western Asian, central African and western African nations and free speech on social media.
Speaking to Sky News, Lelde Vaza, Vadim Aleksin and Aleksej Panfilov narrated their experiences and expressed concern that they are being targeted despite not being decision-makers in this war which has entered its 18th day.
Lelde Vaza owns a sauna in UK’s Wolverhampton but was forced to think about changing the name after she received death threats after Russia attacked Ukraine. She owns Russian Sauna Wolverhampton and is a Latvian whose first language is Russian. She told Sky News that it is not her fault that she speaks Russian.
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Vadim Aleksin, a builder and director of a Russian Cultural Centre, is a resident of the city of Coventry in the UK. Aleksin recently received several threats on social media warning that he and other Russian members will be targeted. “All of us, all my friends, my colleagues at the Russian Cultural Centre had the same, like ‘we find you, we kill you’” Aleksin was quoted as saying by news agency Sky News to have received such messages. Aleksej Panfilov, his friend, said that they have nothing to do with Russia. “I have nothing to do with Russia, with Russian politics, with the Russian government. It’s nothing to do with me,” he told Sky News.
The initiative taken by social media giant Meta recently to allow ‘violent posts’ against ‘Russian invaders, Putin’ also sparked controversy as several people pointed out that the companies cannot take a disputed stand on freedom of speech.
Putin’s Daughter’s Villa Broken Into
French activist Pierre Afner entered the villa of Putin’s daughter Alta Mira in Biarritz changed the locks, and declared the villa was ready to accept Ukrainian refugees.The villa has eight bedrooms and three bathrooms pic.twitter.com/OWCqghHtdx
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) March 13, 2022
Meanwhile in Biarritz, Katerina Tikhonova, Russian president Vladimir Putin’s daughter, faced damages to her villa as activists broke in that villa to shelter Ukrainian refugees. The activist entered the villa, changed the locks and invited Ukrainian refugees to take shelter. Amichai Stein of Israeli state-run news agency Kann said that the activist who carried out the act was Pierre Afner, a French citizen.
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