By now, you’re no doubt well aware of how much the international community has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and how much people all over the world are speaking out in support of the embattled nation.
But while some Russians appear more concerned about the consequences of the invasion than the war itself, others have expressed shame at the Russian government’s actions and are even risking arrest to criticize them from within the country.
According to Al-Jazeera , over 14,000 people there have been arrested for anti-war actions. And it seems that the latest of these protesters has made as conclusive a statement against the war as one can make through one of the very engines used to promote it.
But as we’ll soon see, it’s not something she did without consequence.
On March 14, the state-run Russian TV station Channel 1 was conducting a live report of its signature newscast, Vremya.
But as U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders shared in a Twitter video , this broadcast would not go according to plan for long as one of the station’s editors would soon appear behind this anchor with a sign decrying the invasion of Ukraine.
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As Sanders wrote, “This is an act of incredible courage.”
The woman responsible is Marina Ovsyannikova and her sign says, “NO WAR. Stop the war. Don’t believe the propaganda. They’re lying to you here.”
According to People , this move comes after she had made a video statement condemning the invasion as a “crime” and expressing regret that she had helped the station produce propaganda excusing past government actions such as the 2014 annexation of Crimea.
In her words, “We simply watched this inhumane regime. Now the whole world has turned away from us and the next 10 generations of our descendants will not wash away the shame of this fratricidal war.”
She also called on citizens to protest, saying, “Russians are wise and proud, it is up to us to stop this madness.”
According to CNN , Ovsyannikova’s actions were lauded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as were those of any other Russians taking a similar risk.
As he put it, “I am grateful to those Russians who do not stop trying to convey the truth. To those who fight disinformation and tell the truth, real facts to their friends and loved ones.”
And make no mistake, those who do this are taking a risk because Russian law prohibits “public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.”
And as CNN reported, Ovsyannikova has since been detained for her statement. Although she is apparently being held in Moscow’s Ostankino Police station, her attorney Dmitry Zakhvatov has said that he’s been unable to find her there thus far.
