Posted on 06/16/2022 12:05:23 PM PDT by dennisw
Ukraine's newest heroes: Brave Russian defectors have joined Kyiv's forces on frontlines against Putin's regime to liberate their beloved country from his rule
Scores of Russians have defected to fight alongside Ukrainian armed forces They risk severe treatment and most likely the death penalty if they are captured But fighters say they see Putin and the Kremlin as a 'cancer' preventing peace
Like all his Ukrainian army comrades, Volodymyr Grotskov is fuelled by deeply-held patriotism as he risks his life on the bloodstained frontline of the brutal war against Russia.
The 48-year-old electrical engineer says he loves his country and sees the Kremlin as a destructive 'cancer' threatening the world's peace and security. 'It might sound pretentious but I'm fighting for freedom and democracy,' he insists.
Yet there is one big difference between Grotskov and all the other soldiers in his brigade who are sitting beside us, eating borscht and cleaning their guns while the thunder of artillery bombardment crashes around the battered Donbas frontline.
For this member of the Ukrainian military is Russian – he is fighting to liberate his country from dictatorship as well as the preservation of his adopted nation.
'So what would happen if you were caught?' I asked this quietly-spoken soldier as we talked in his unit's temporary farmhouse base. 'Death would happen,' he replied with a laugh, admitting that many compatriots see him as traitor.
Yet he is among scores of Russians so infuriated by Vladimir Putin's barbarity and corruption, they have defected to Kyiv's side – including captured prisoners of war and even a senior official in one of Moscow's central financial institutions.
'Guys from Russia – if you hate Putin's regime and want Russia to become a free, democratic country, join us,' declared Igor Volobuev, the former vice-president of Gazprombank, last week.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
MORE>>>>
Certainly Grotskov subscribes to such views. When we met close to some of the fiercest fighting in the deadly battlegrounds south of Izyum, he told me about the personal journey that led him to take up arms against his nation’s forces.
His awakening began 11 years ago when pro-democracy protests erupted across Russia following ballot-rigging and fraud to fix the success of Putin’s party in parliamentary elections.
Grotskov joined small demonstrations in his home town of Kandalaksha after discovering a video posted by Alexei Navalny – the anti-corruption campaigner who has since survived a poisoning attack and been jailed.
The video, based on documents obtained by Navalny, exposed how billions of pounds were stolen from an oil pipeline project by one of Putin’s closest cronies.
Grotskov said: ‘I was shocked by the scale of corruption and injustice that was organised at the highest level. I started to look into the political and economic situation and realised that we need to fight this regime.’.
The soldier, whose family remain in Russia, began putting up posters and joining protests. But after Putin illegally seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, he decided it was immoral to pay taxes to fund a thieving and toxic dictatorship. ‘I’ve always been the kind of person who wants to fight for justice,’ he said. ‘I left for Ukraine because I knew the hottest spot of fighting Putin’s imperial regime is here in this country.’ Initially he intended to set up an online project with friends inside Russia to spread information about corrupt state officials, expose the government’s failure to prosecute them and encourage the imposition of stricter Western sanctions.
He explained: ‘They have fun, spend the money, have businesses abroad. I wanted to make sure that they would not be allowed into the West. The brainwashing has been going on for decades.’
So it’s over for Russia, again! /s
Political repressions in Russia: the Kremlin is in pursuit of those who stand against war
https://youtu.be/3Z1i7u5IAeQ
Russia is killing Ukrainian children: 6-year-old boy killed in Lysychansk
https://youtu.be/YJGJ5w-71ac
Russian POWs: Ukraine respects the rules of international conventions
https://youtu.be/BQcNRMXv7mA
Ukrainian army advances in South direction: enemy ammunition depot destroyed. 112th day
https://youtu.be/Ea5RQAMaAeM
Ukrainian defenders advance near Izium, liberating villages. The 113th day of war
https://youtu.be/_pXeyUxcKJc
Ukrainian guitar warriors. They forge metal on the frontline. The story of Maestro
https://youtu.be/E1poqQimkyQ
Zelenskyy: During 112 days of war, Ukrainian army proved courage, wisdom and ability to defeat enemy
https://youtu.be/Hmbobm5ZQNo
RE: Brave Russian Defectors
Didn’t the USA have such people? Benedict Arnold was one of them.
Russians are also growing weary of Pidor Putin.
Goes a long way to explaining why Alexander Navalny was arbitrarily moved to a high security prison without a hearing. Putin is afraid of the growing calls for new leadership in Moscow.
Putin’s dreams of Soviet Russia are coming to an end.
Frontline Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Donetsk ‘WILL WIN WAR’
https://youtu.be/qiEgPRbyASU
That’s not a great idea. The Russians can shoot deserters and there is not legal defense for it.
Russia is losing again—now her troops fight for the enemy. Smells like propaganda to me.
The sun never used to set on the British Empire.
Today the sun never sets on the British Propaganda Empire.
“Russians are also growing weary of Pidor Putin.”
Cancerous Putin will be going down harder than a 2nd tier crypto currency. His diseases are catching up with him, as the Grim Reaper awaits.
Russia is losing again—now her troops fight for the enemy. Smells like propaganda to me.
——-
Of course, I posted one of Lancasters videos of “ liberated “ Donbass provinces town halls. Lines of citizens applying for Russian passports- the most interesting was the Commander of the 149th Ukie Territorial Guards. His unit was chewed to pieces, and he simply deserted, returned to his home in Donbass, and applied for Russian citizenship. Why? He said their Ukie command was ordering atrocities, not supplying them, and “ sold them out”….of course not a word from western MSM, but Lancasters interview says different- reality- from someone who is filming, boots on the ground.
If interested in the reality, look up Lancasters posts on You Tube- you will be amazed at what the corrupted western media is NOT reporting about senile Joes war.
According to the Ukrainian source in the OP things did not go well for the Euro trio (Macron/Scholz/Draghi) in their meeting with Zelensky.
Resident
⚡️⚡️⚡️#Inside
Our source in the OP said that Macron / Scholz / Draghi today received an experienced politician as opponents, who parried all their arguments and remained unconvinced. Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes (from Latin - “Fear the Danes who bring gifts “) this is how the leaders of France / Germany / Italy can be characterized today who came to convince Zelensky to resume negotiations with Russia and agree to Turkey’s plan to export grain from Odessa ports. The President of Ukraine rejected all the proposals of the EU leaders and asked to increase military assistance, and not waste time on empty negotiations.
https://t.me/resident_ua/12818
Telegram
Resident
⚡️⚡️⚡️#InsideOur
source in the OP said that Macron / Scholz / Draghi urged Zelensky to compromise with Russia. It is suggested that the plan of Italy, which was presented a few weeks ago, be taken as a formula.
103.1Kviews
11:32
.......”Smells like propaganda to me.”.......
Yep Ukraines complaining not enough soldiers fighting so i suppose this is their way of getting new recruits. ....because their own people don’t want to fight a battle they can’t win.
https://t.me/s/RtrDonetsk/6811
The New York Times summarizes yesterday’s Rammstein: “US and allies promise more weapons for Ukraine, but Kyiv wants more.”
Some NATO countries are wary of sending heavy weapons, hoping for a negotiated truce, but the alliance has publicly said it is ready to help Ukraine defeat Russia.
The NYT also writes that “the promise of weapons and their delivery are two different things.”
The newspaper lists reasons why the transfer is slower than Ukraine would like:
- Western reluctance to deplete its arsenals
- Inability to quickly produce additional weapons
- Difficult logistics
- Fears of sensitive technology falling into Russian hands
- the need to train Ukrainians in handling new types of weapons
- and the danger of escalation if there are strikes against Russia.
69.8Kviews
22:50
UK Daily Propaganda
How a former US Navy sailor became a Putin propagandist
Patrick Lancaster describes himself as an independent journalist.
https://taskandpurpose.com/analysis/navy-veteran-russian-propaganda-ukraine/
Russia’s favorite war propagandist is a Navy veteran from Missouri
Putin’s invasion has catapulted Patrick Lancaster, who calls himself an independent journalist, into the limelight.
https://www.grid.news/story/misinformation/2022/04/18/russias-favorite-war-propagandist-is-a-navy-veteran-from-missouri/
Russia’s favorite war propagandist is a Navy veteran from Missouri
Putin’s invasion has catapulted Patrick Lancaster, who calls himself an independent journalist, into the limelight.
May 9, 2022
https://www.lapresse.us/crisis-in-ukraine/2022/05/09/russias-favorite-war-propagandist-is-a-navy-veteran-from-missouri/
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