Russian Anti-War Committee Formed, Calling for Mass Public Resistance
On the 28th of August at 12:41 a.m. Moscow time, Solidarity Movement activist Dmitry Monakhov tweeted: "I am Russian. Not cattle. Not a killer. And I am not an occupier. I am ashamed that Putin is my president. At 9:00 I will go to Manezh against the war." Less than 24 hours later, his message had been retweeted some 3,000 times. He went to Moscow's Manezh Square on August 28, and said that Putin's actions were illegal under Section 353 of the Russian Criminal Code, which bans the planning of "aggressive war," according to the LiveJournalof Philipp Kireev, who witnessed the scene and uploaded photos of it to his blog. Monakhov called for the opening of a criminal investigation into Putin... see photos of war resisters
With the recent public discovery of Russian Military Soldiers being secretly buried and the government giving suspicious causes of death to soldiers' families, anti-war sentiments are rising in Russia. The mothers of the soldiers killed in Ukraine were the first to speak up by releasing a video where they asked Russian officials denying Russian involvement in Ukraine to bring back their children alive. The Сommittee of Soldiers’ Mothers in the Stavropol Oblast of Russia compiled a list of 400 Russian soldiers killed and wounded in Ukraine and estimated that at least 10,000 Russian conscripts have been sent to East Ukraine, following this it was branded a foreign agent. A Facebook group called Cargo 200 has been campaigning for the return of the bodies of Russian soldiers killed in Donbas.
On August 27 Pavel Shelkov, member of the Committee of Solidarity with Maidan, announced the establishment of a Russian Anti-War Committee on air of 112 Ukraine. Meanwhile, Dozhd TV has launched a project to track Russian soldiers who have been killed, wounded or taken prisoner in Ukraine.
On August 28, the Russian Anti-War Committee issued its first statement, in which it accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin of starting a fratricidal war with Ukraine and advocates for his removal from power. The Committee has a Facebook group and has released a petition calling to remove Russian troops from Ukraine.
Moscow, August 28, 2014
Dear brothers and sisters! Fellow citizens!
Russia is on the verge of disaster! The large-scale invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine which began on August 27 may bring around losses comparable to losses during the war in Afghanistan (several dozen thousands killed), and a possible escalation into a major military conflict in Europe, where the toll will number millions. The ruling regime in Russia has dragged the country into a fratricidal war.
In our opinion, the President of the Russian Federation, grossly violating the Constitution, has committed a state offense under Articles 353 and 354 of the Criminal Code. This gives grounds for bringing him to trial and removing from power.
Under these conditions we encourage the citizens of Russia to:
-Express their strong rejection of this fratricidal war with acts of peaceful civil disobedience.
-Under the conditions of an undergoing war and until Russian troops are complete withdrawn from Ukraine we want to ask mothers whose sons will be recruited into the armed forces of the Russian Federation in September to remember that they may be sent to war and die in fratricidal slaughter. You have a responsibility to demand the return of your children to Russia if you find out that your son has been sent by the command to fight in Ukraine.
-Be prepared to indefinitely hold a peaceful political strike until the end of the war and the removal from power of all those responsible for starting the war and endorsing its management.
Soldiers and officers!
-Be warned that you have every right to refuse to perform clearly criminal orders!
-In this difficult time for the country remember the honor of Russian soldiers and officers! Do not shoot your brothers, both Russian and Ukrainian! Think about who your true enemy is, turning you into powerless cannon fodder!
-Find the strength to fulfill your duty to protect the people of Russia! The continuation of the fratricidal war will inevitably lead to the disintegration of the country, the loss of national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Dear brothers and sisters, Ukrainians!
Together with you we mourn those losses that you have suffered and continue to bear because of the criminal policy of the leadership of Russia! We hope for a speedy end to the bloodshed in the long-suffering Ukrainian world!
On the basis of Article 3 of the Constitution of Russia, “the only source of power is the multinational people.” Based on this, we demand the Russian leadership to immediately withdraw Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine!
The Organizing Committee of the Russian Anti-War Movement (RAD)
