German Putin propagandist starts manhunt for 16-year-old

A careless sentence in passing brought significant trouble to a young person in Crimea. In an interview with German Putin propagandist Alina Lipp, the 16-year-old gave an answer that visibly surprised her: he was pro-Ukraine.

Lipp, who mainly distributes Russian propaganda on Telegram channels, had asked people in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, if they were concerned about a Ukrainian offensive. The main message of her contribution should be that Crimea would laugh at the announcements of Ukrainian president and alleged “clown” Volodomir Zelenskiy.

However, the young man, who was strolling along a waterfront promenade with a friend, responded as he continued walking with an expression of sympathy for Ukraine. Lipp also showed this scene in her contribution. Although she actually wanted to show with her reporting that support for the Russian war was overwhelming on the peninsula.

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin legitimized the alleged possession of Crimea in a hastily convened referendum in March 2014. The West, on the other hand, speaks of an annexation – that is, a violent appropriation in violation of international law. Kiev is apparently currently planning a military liberation of the peninsula.

Apologies also to Vladimir Putin

Shortly after the publication of Lipp’s message, a search for the youngster began on Russian channels: pro-Russian bloggers demanded his punishment. Then what Zelensky adviser Mykhailo Podoliak had already predicted happened: a video appeared, apparently from a police station, in which the young man apologized for his punishment: “I confess my stupidity”. First he wanted to apologize to the citizens of the Russian Federation, then to Russia and to the Russian President. It is unclear whether the young man or his family should fear further consequences.

The apology video appeared in a kind of wanted portal of the well-known Crimean blogger Alexander Talipov. Talipov apparently works closely with the Russian authorities, several procedures were initiated shortly after his publications and he received videos of victims from the police. At 8:35 AM, he posted the excerpt from Lipp’s interview, and other pro-Russian channels with hundreds of thousands of followers shared the video.

Identified after three hours, excused after seven

After more than three hours, Talipov reported that both young men had been identified and that the “fools” were 16 years old. About four hours later, he posted the scene with the apology. Since then, both videos, cut together, have appeared on social media.

Alina Lipp, who has complained in the Russian media about persecution by the German authorities, has not yet commented on the development after its publication. She is under investigation in Germany because she approved of the Russian offensive war. Read more here.

Asking the 16-year-old put Lipp even more on the radar in Ukraine: Wladimir Klitschko, the brother of Kiev mayor Vitali, retweeted the German account @BrennpunktUA’s demand for Ukrainian authorities to deport Lipp for a search . She is already on an unofficial wanted list and also stated that she feared for her life after attacks on other propagandists.

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