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Slava Malamud: Just floored by this document, though I shouldn’t be. This is an instruction for 🇷🇺 soldiers on how to talk to Ukrainians. A chart of propaganda talking points.
It’s an exhaustive display of how far gone the Russian minds are. This cavalcade of madness deserves a full translation

Words (to avoid): “Shot, liquidated, killed”
Instead: “The problem was solved”
Clarification: In reference to pet dogs, marauders, territorial defense fighters
Note: Extremely negative effect on locals
Words (to avoid): “Death to (ethnic slur)”, “It’s Russia here now, forget Ukraine”
Instead: “People will decide how to live and whom to choose”
Clarification: In reference to who will be in charge, Ukraine or Russia
Note: Shifts the responsibility from 🇷🇺 to locals for the moment
Questions: “Why are you here?”
Answer: “We bring humanitarian aid. Where are your officials? Why did they abandon you?”
Clarification: Do not explain that people are being shelled in (Russian-controlled) Donbas. Locals do not take this well.
Note: Shifts the burden on the locals
Questions: “Why are you armed? We are scared”
Answer: “We are temporarily replacing the police that has abandoned you. There are looters about, criminals armed by Zelensky”
Clarification: “Do not say “war”. Focus only on the police that has escaped”
Note: “Your main task...
... is to sow in the heads of the people thoughts about how weak the Ukrainian authorities are, how they have abandoned them.”

Question: “We don’t have electricity!”
Answer: “Yes, but we are also here without it. Think, why would we bomb our own power plants? Ukrainians did it!”
Question: “Are you Ukrainian or Russian?”
Answer: “Both, but most importantly we are all Orthodox Christian who have nothing to quarrel about”
Clarification: If an argument ensues, site examples of gay pride parades, the schism of Orthodoxy, sale of land to foreigners, biolabs”

Note: “Yes! We are Russians” is not appropriate. Nine years of propaganda have equated the image of a Russian to that of an invader. The image of an Orthodox Christian is spotless.
To avoid: “Blaming (ethnic slur) and Ukraine for everything.
Instead: Blame marionettes Zelensky and Poroshenko and their masters from the USA.
Clarification: Initially, until we establish state apparatus, we have to tolerate the terms “Ukraine” and “Ukrainians”
To avoid: “We are here, we will establish order”
Instead: “We will temporarily help the locals find someone from among themselves who is trustworthy, decent and responsible”
That’s the gist of it.

Imagine being bombed to smithereens and then having to hear from your murderers about how they are protecting you against pride parades.
Russia is fucking insane. Totally and completely.
PS. Also, note the subtle antisemitism of the propaganda outreach: “Don’t blame Ukrainians, avoid anti-Ukrainian ethnic slurs, even if you are used to them, blame Zelensky (an actual Jew) and Poroshenko (whom we have long accused of being a Jew) instead”
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1530360278168240129.html