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Russia is in the iron grip of President Vladimir Putin (71). Hundreds of thousands have fled the country since the start of the war in Ukraine. Opposition figures and war critics who remain in Russia face harsh penalties and long prison sentences. But that does not mean that the Kremlin ruler has completely silenced the resistance.
A courageous mother of three wanted to compete against the certain election winner. No one in the country was surprised that the electoral commission rejected the candidacy of independent Yekaterina Duntsova (40). There is now a video circulating on social media in Russia that authorities are trying to censor: The video shows a slain soldier and a ballot paper signed with the dead man’s blood.
What is believed to be the first election-related anti-Putin segment appeared on Telegram. Putin is not mentioned by name in the video. The message is clear: a vote against the president in wartime also means a vote against the war in Ukraine.
Ballot paper filled with blood
The video is professionally made, with a clear message against the Kremlin’s incessant propaganda: a soldier runs across a field. Unexploded bombs explode next to him. He reaches the bunker. There is a presumed dead comrade sitting at the table, in a pool of his own blood.
The soldier pushes the dead man’s arm away, places a document on the table, dips a pen in the blood and checks a box on the paper with a blood-red Z. The paper is probably a ballot paper. The letter Z has become a symbol of the Russian war in Ukraine. Before the invasion, the letter could be seen on Russian tanks and military vehicles massing at the border.
The following text then appears in the video: “370,980 soldiers have already paid for their election.” Skulls can be seen in the background. Then the question: “Which choice are you going to make?”
Is the oppositional media project Nexta behind it?
The video was first seen on the Telegram channel of the Eastern European media project Nexta. Users spread it through other channels.
According to observers, Russian censors are expected to soon have their hands full banning similar content from social media.
Nexta was founded in Belarus in 2015 and was quickly banned by the regime. Nexta is considered a leading voice in exile on what is happening in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
