/ Česky / Русский / український /
Mainstream media and even some “anarchist” or “radical left” media outlets bombard us with reports about soldiers on the front lines, but stubbornly refuse to listen to the voices of those who reject war and violent mobilization for war purposes. We take a different approach. We prefer to give space to the voices of those who fled the war rather than to hypocrites who describe the war as a liberation struggle.
Viatcheslav is an anarchist who fled mobilization. To quote him: “I refused to join the army and fled at the beginning of the war in 2022. It’s not that I particularly like Putin’s regime; I know very well that he is a dictator and that under his regime I would have no freedom and, as an anarchist, my life would even be in danger. But I have no desire to sacrifice my life so that the Ukrainian bourgeoisie can enjoy their privileges, so that the sons of oligarchs my age can continue to sunbathe on the beaches of Odessa while I tremble with fear in a trench, waiting to be bombed by a drone. War is also a class issue: if you are rich, it is very easy to obtain a medical certificate and be exempted from going to the front. That is not my case. It is not fair. That is why I decided to leave. Here in France, I was not welcomed with open arms.”
– We quote from an article published in the eighth issue of the Olga Taratuta Initiative Bulletin.https://nowar.solidarite.online/blog/ukraine-la-desertion-et-lesquive-deviennent-massives
Let us also remember that Ukraine’s borders remain firmly closed. Men of military age cannot legally leave the country, and many are being forcibly mobilized. Some are leaving and risking their lives.
Some refugees did not survive their escape attempts or suffered serious injuries and trauma. Yet we still see war propaganda that describes aggression in the war as coming only from Russian imperialism, while ignoring that which is happening in Ukraine. That is why it is worth recalling the words of the Kharkiv collective Assembly from a recent interview:
„Every time Ukrainian representatives or cheerleaders tell you about Ukrainian civilian casualties from Russian bombings, while ignoring the fact that their closed borders prevent these people from fleeing to safety, know this: they simply want to conceal their responsibility for these deaths.”
