Russia has successfully imposed its passports on nearly the entire population of occupied Ukraine by making it impossible to survive without them.

He and his parents were among the last in their village to take a Russian passport, but the pressure was becoming unbearable.

By his third beating at the hands of the Russian soldiers occupying Ukraine’s Kherson region, Vyacheslav Ryabkov caved. The soldiers broke two of his ribs, but his face was not bruised for his unsmiling passport photo, taken in September 2023.

It wasn’t enough.

In December, they caught the welder on his way home from work. Then one slammed his rifle butt down on Ryabkov’s face, smashing the bridge of his nose.

“Why don’t you fight for us? You already have a Russian passport,” they demanded. The beating continued as the 42-year-old fell unconscious.

“Let’s finish this off,” one soldier said. A friend ran for Ryabkov’s mother.

Russia has successfully imposed its passports on nearly the entire population of occupied Ukraine by making it impossible to survive without them, coercing hundreds of thousands of people into citizenship ahead of elections Vladimir Putin has made certain he will win, an Associated Press investigation has found. But accepting a passport means that men living in occupied territory can be drafted to fight against the same Ukrainian army that is trying to free them.

  • mathemachristian[he]@lemm.eeEnglish
    277·
    9 months ago

    Who is talking about captured russians, Ukraine is forcing russians living in ukraine with ukrainian passports to fight for them, regardless of whether they want to or not. Im baffled at why this is considered controversial its not secret… Maybe underreported, but it seems people here have really bought into the good vs bad narrative anyway and anyone who dares criticize ukraine or st. Zelensky must be a russian troll. The implication being that russian opinions are to be dismissed because of the nationality of the person?

    • fustigation769curtain@lemmy.worldEnglish
      372·
      9 months ago

      Well, considering the article is about Russians forcing Ukrainians to fight, that’s what rational people would think you meant by “Ukraine is doing the exact same thing.”

      No. Ukraine is not doing “the exact same thing.” Both Ukraine and Russia are forcing their own respective countrymen to fight. Only Russia is forcing Ukrainians to fight for Russia.

      If you had a point, then that would be Ukraine forcing Russians to fight for Ukraine, which isn’t true.

      But I’ve already given you more than you deserve. You are clearly a sad Russian troll who is just doing his best not to get fired.

      Good luck coming up with a response to this, I can’t wait to see how jumbled and illogical it is.

      • mathemachristian[he]@lemm.eeEnglish
        254·
        9 months ago

        If you had a point, then that would be Ukraine forcing Russians to fight for Ukraine, which isn’t true.

        But it is? They are literally forcing people no matter their ethnicity or conscientous objections to fight?

        • The Assman@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          162·
          9 months ago

          You talking Russian citizens in Ukraine, or ethnically Russian Ukrainian citizens?

          🤡👇

          • mathemachristian[he]@lemm.eeEnglish
            118·
            8 months ago

            What a rude edit, there really is no point extending good faith in this community it gets thrown right back in your face.

            • Psychodelic@lemmy.worldEnglish
              4·
              8 months ago

              I mean, what you’re doing is definitely worse than being rude. This goes beyond basic ignorance. You’re being a bad person. You’re demonstrating to all that your parents did a terrible job raising you. Be better or live with the shame forever

    • barsoap@lemm.eeEnglish
      17·
      8 months ago

      Ukraine is forcing russians living in ukraine with ukrainian passports to fight for them

      “Belgium is forcing French living in Belgium with Belgian passports to fight for them”.

      Those people are Ukrainians. Russian speakers were the first to volunteer and fight, btw. If you think that speaking a particular language at home means that you want to live in a fascist empire that happens to speak the same language I suggest you check your leftist credentials as they have become null and void.

      Zelensky himself is a native Russian speaker, btw.

    • Fushuan [he/him]@lemm.eeEnglish
      13·
      8 months ago

      Ukraine doesn’t allow for double nationality, and has the right to conscript it’s citizens, so even if those people felt Russian,if they got an Ukrainian citizenship, they are bind to that. There’s no fucking chance they are conscripting Russian migrants with Russian nationality and passport.

      Source: my SO had to lose Ukrainian citizenship when she got her citizenship in my home country, even if mine does allow it.

      • mathemachristian[he]@lemm.eeEnglish
        218·
        8 months ago

        They arent. ukraine has a large russian minority especially in the east, hence them trying to secede from ukraine and join russia

        • Madison420@lemmy.worldEnglish
          71·
          8 months ago

          Then those are Ukrainians not Russians though perhaps ethnically they might well be Russian, who cares. Fight for your country or get the fuck out, pretty literally every country at war does this.

          Should we point to how one of the only ways out of Japanese internment camps was if you were useful to the war effort? Should we point to how Russia is forcing passports in occupied areas and then forcing Ukrainians to fight?

          The lines you draw just paint a fucked up picture, you can hedge of you’d like but you’re going to be in the wrong side of history on this one.