GEORGE TOWN – After almost two weeks of staying silent, some Russian nationals in Malaysia are defending the actions of those in their motherland, saying that while Moscow may be making progress in “demilitarising and de-Nazifying” neighbouring Ukraine, it is losing the media war.
Maria, who is part Ukrainian and Russian, told The Vibes that more people need to understand what led up to the recent invasion before taking sides.
“Right now, everyone is reacting according to what they see in the Western news channels and social media. Many have not heard Russia’s side or taken the initiative to learn the history behind this conflict.
“Russia is not against Ukraine, but the Ukrainian insurgent army that is funded by the West to threaten and instigate Russia.”
In her opinion, though many are only aware of the Russian military moving into Ukraine on February 24, the war started eight years ago and has been ongoing in the Donbas region.
She said Russian children born in the troubled part of Ukraine have been staying in bomb shelters until this day, but as the Western media did not report about that at length, the world remains ignorant of the situation.
Maria considers Ukrainians as part of the Russian family, as they share many similarities, from food to language. Many Russians in Malaysia are also married to Ukrainians.
However, since the conflict started, she has not started a conversation with her Ukrainian friends here because it is too sensitive to speak about.
She assumed that some Malaysians may be afraid of Russians after experiencing an incident where a food deliveryman, after asking where she was from, “fled the compound” when she answered “Russia”.
She is also afraid that someone may vandalise the graves of the 10 Russian sailors buried at Western Road Cemetery here, and said that she drove around once to ensure things were in order.
Diana, a Russian working here, said she is shocked at the world’s aggressive reaction towards Russia, but is glad many of her Malaysian friends have been questioning the authenticity of Western media reports.
“We did not expect this level of aggression coming from everywhere. We thought many people knew what was happening. But how it was presented shocked us.
“At the same time, if we say anything, we will still be in the wrong. Do not be mistaken; we feel sorry for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. That is why we pray the war will be over soon, once (Russia President Vladimir) Putin completes his mission, so there will be fewer casualties.”
She also said that Russia has opened a “humanitarian” corridor for civilians to escape the conflict and claimed it is the Ukrainian nationalists – who the Russians refer to as rebels funded by the West – who are preventing their escape and shooting them on sight.
She alleged that there are many doctored pictures from the West showing the destruction caused by the Russian army in Kyiv, when they are actually pictures taken in Donbas, where the Ukraine nationalists are said to oppress, abuse and kill Russians living there.
Though she is in a WhatsApp group chat with Ukrainians, Slovakians and Russian-speaking nationalities living in Penang, the group has fallen silent since the invasion started.
Natasha, a Russian who has been living in Penang for almost two decades, said those who know the truth about the war are not speaking out but discussing it among themselves.
“Right now, the media shows only one-sided reports. Even in Europe, the only Russian channel in English has been taken down. How are two sides of the story going to be told?
“If Nato and the US are really keen to help the Ukrainians, why are they sending weapons and giving arms to civilians instead of daily needs for those that are displaced and trying to escape the cities?
“If you want to know the truth, you have to listen to both sides.”
All the interviewees have requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation.
On March 7, two Ukrainian women living in Malaysia shared their grief and pain as their families and friends in the former Soviet country endure the invasion.
They told The Vibes that waiting for messages of safety is now the first thing on their minds when they wake up. – The Vibes, March 14, 2022
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