“You can vote for Nadezhdin, then protest and await arrest; or you can vote with a 7.62 caliber. I made my choice” – An anti-Putin Russian fighting for Ukraine in the Siberian Battalion wrote an article about his story & how he came to fight for his beliefs.
by MicrowaveBurns
17 comments
Source: https:// t. me/SiberianBattalion/211
Article translation:
> Hello, my call sign is Joni! I came to Ukraine and joined the International Legion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to fight as part of the Siberia battalion. I am from the European part of Russia.
> My oppositional views began to form in high school. Even then, I wondered how in the largest and most resource-rich country a huge percentage of the population had such a low standard of living. The main reason for this is the gigantic level of corruption at all levels of government.
> Quite quickly, other problems added to the poverty, such as repression, political assassinations, torture, arbitrariness of security and law enforcement agencies, and the judicial system. The country gradually slipped from autocracy into dictatorship. For myself, I realized that a revolution was needed.
> When popular protest won in Ukraine in 2014, and Yanukovych fled, I decided that a similar scenario was possible in Russia if the people consolidated, feeling their strength. After the annexation of Crimea and the attack on Ukraine in 2014 year, the reaction of the West turned out to be too weak to influence the monster, who once again felt his impunity and tasted blood.
> For me, there was only one answer – the criminal power must be destroyed ourselves, without relying on outside help. I began to take part in protests, but they all ended in nothing. The closest thing to revolution was the moment after the return of Alexei Navalny, but this time the protest failed.
> On February 24, 2022, I woke up, opened the news and was shocked! Before this, I was sure that Putin was bluffing, that he would not attack so openly. But the monstrous reality turned out to be different. My time has come to prove in practice what my views are worth, and how ready I am to fight for my beliefs.
> I left Russia and for a year tried to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine in various ways. All of them were unsuccessful. During this time, I formed a social circle in a new country, a great job appeared – a great place for a comfortable life on the seashore in a warm climate. But when I came across information about the “Civil Council” and the opportunity to get into the Siberian battalion, I didn’t think twice about it. Between comfort and war for justice, I chose the latter!
> I have been observing political and police lawlessness in Russia for 15 years, and now I see the occupation of Ukrainian territories and the murder of innocent people. At this time, sitting on the sidelines means for me to betray my ideals.
> For many years, the ruling regime of the Russian Federation behaved with impunity, tortured and killed, and was sure that nothing would happen to them for this. But now there are citizens of the Russian Federation who have taken up arms and are ready to seek the truth. To take revenge both for the murdered Ukrainians who died from missile attacks at home, and for the Russian political prisoners sitting in prison today, who previously fought the regime for our rights.
> At the beginning of the war, there were many who wanted death for Putin and his entourage, but gradually they began to forget that there was a war going on somewhere out there. For “fakes about the Russian army” they give a sentence of up to 15 years. We are accustomed to the fact that we cannot voice our political position out loud, we are accustomed to the fact that the Chinese automobile industry dominates on the roads, and the level of human rights in Russia tends to the level of Turkmenistan, and will soon reach North Korea.
> You can go sign for Nadezhdin, and then go to a single picket in anticipation of a paddy wagon, when he gets 1.5% of the votes in the “elections”. Or you can vote with 7.62 caliber. Peaceful protest is the stupidest form of submission in today’s Russia. I MADE MY CHOICE!!!
**For more information about the Russians defending Ukraine, the Belgorod raids, anti-war Partisans in Russia, separatism in Russia, and other anti-war resistance that doesn’t get posted elsewhere, subscribe to r/freedomofrussia**
Bad news buddy but you aren’t supposed to “await arrest” after a protest, your countrymen are just cowards lol.
I still can’t believe Russians were thought of as revolutionaries before this war….Jesus Christ.
Wicked rifle or MG what is that thing
Johnny you badass, good luck to you! Proud to see *some* Russians waking up.
Honestly even setting aside the fact Nadezhdin is just as much of a piece of shit (self-identifies as ‘latent putinist’, among other examples), hoping to *vote* the big bad out is such cope it’s hilarious
what type of rifle is that?
Good man
That is a serious piece of kit.
Lol I thought that was Valgear at first
Dudes a badass.
You can vote for the guy who said that native Americans are ruzzian and that everyone else is just a made up myth.
Yeah vote for that guy, he’s going places.
Well said mate. You don’t beat a murderous dictator through the voting box. You beat him through the barrel of a gun.
I believe it is an MG5 A1 or A2 from HK. A medium machine-gun.
Joni you’re on the right side of history and a good man. Bet it pisses off AFR top-brass that he’s carrying a modern German MG. That thing looks the piece.
Damn that is one beautiful weapon he’s got there. I’ll always love my 240 bravo but I really want to finger fuck that gun.
Victory
I hope this young man lives to see the change he’s fighting for