Russian celebrities, public figures speak out against Ukraine War, thebarentsobserver.com

Russian celebrities, journalists and other public figures have voiced opposition to President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, with activists planning to stage an anti-war rally in central Moscow this evening.

Pop stars, late-night television hosts and film directors have been posting black squares to Instagram in protest of the war.

“We the Russians will be dealing with the consequences of today for many more years,” wrote socialite and former presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak.

An anti-war petition launched by Kommersant business daily reporter Elena Chernenko has collected at least 100 journalists’ signatures. The signatories include employees of outlets including RBC, Novaya Gazeta, Dozhd, Ekho Moskvy, Snob and The Bell.

Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief and 2021 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov denounced Putin’s warnings against outside interference and echoed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s appeal for Russians to stand up against the war.

“The commander-in-chief spins the ‘nuclear button’ in his hands like a keychain from an expensive car. Is the next step a nuclear salvo? I cannot interpret Vladimir Putin’s words about a retaliatory weapon in any other way,” Muratov said.

“Only the anti-war movement of Russians can save life on this planet,” he said in a video message. Läs artikel