Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a chilling warning on Wednesday aimed at "traitors" and anti-war protesters as police arrest thousands in the region amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The lawmaker's remarks were followed by graffiti warnings daubed on the doors of many activists living in Moscow. One food blogger was also threatened with up to 15 years of imprisonment for "discrediting" the Russian military. There were also calls to sack a senior former official for "treachery" in his opposition to the war in Ukraine.
Putin's Chilling Warning
Putin's venomous warning noted that the West would try to take advantage of the so-called traitors and use them as a fifth column to destroy Russia. However, he noted that the citizens of the country will be able to quickly differentiate between "patriots" and "scums."
After a few hours from the Russian president's speech, a Moscow-based activist, Dmitry Ivanov, said that his mother told him she found a graffiti message on their door. The markings read, "Don't betray the motherland, Dima," as per Reuters.
The graffiti also bore several of the "Z" signs that were used to gather support for Russia's war in Ukraine and have been seen painted on tanks. Ivanov, who repeatedly protested against the invasion, said that he knew of three other people who also found similar graffiti on their doors.
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Experts said that despite fears of Western sanctions having little effect on Putin's state of mind and decisions, the Russian president's Wednesday speech suggested that not everything was going according to his plans. However, some raised concerns that he would soon turn his attention away from Ukraine and double down on his own citizens who oppose his views.
According to CNN, while there are a few Russian citizens who have drummed up support for the war against Ukraine, many others have taken to the streets to protest Putin's actions. They know very well that they could be arrested by heavily-armed police even if they held peaceful demonstrations.
Patriots and Scums
In his remarks, Putin said, "The Russian people will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and simply spit them out like a fly that accidentally flew into their mouths." The Russian leader said he was convinced that the process, a natural and necessary self-purification of society, will only result in a stronger country.
Putin has repeatedly compared the West to Nazi Germany and has accused Russians who opposed the war in Ukraine of having a "slave-like" mentality. He also labeled the conflict a "struggle for our sovereignty, for the future of our country and our children."
But Russia's environment of anti-war sentiment, including a criminal case against a famous lifestyle blogger, paled in comparison to the horrifying incidents in Mariupol. The area is where Moscow's forces appeared to have gone all out.
On Thursday, Russia's military bombed a theater that resulted in thousands taking refuge. The attack was conducted despite satellite footage showing there was the Russian word for "children" written on the ground near the theater to let Russian forces know that there were civilians in the area, Fox News reported.
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