The statement by Russians who oppose Putin celebrating the Ukrainian incursion in Kursk

@ElentirENG ES 8·11·2024 · 18:43 0

The Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk region has not only boosted the morale of many Ukrainians, but also some Russians.

The disaster of the Russian reinforcements sent to stop the Ukrainian incursion in Kursk
The data we know about the Ukrainian incursion into the Russian Kursk region

Specifically, among anti-Putin Russian citizens, this incursion seems to raise hopes of ending the Russian dictator, who is subjecting his own country to an authoritarian regime that increasingly resembles the defunct USSR, in addition to having launched a war that has already cost the lives of tens of thousands of Russians to fulfill Putin's imperialist dreams.

Last night, famous Russian chess player Garry Kasparov shared a statement published on Friday by the Free Russia Forum, which is currently the largest platform of the Russian opposition against Putin, founded in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, in 2016 by Kasparov and Ivan Tyutrin. This platform advocates for "the complete dismantling of Putin’s dictatorship, the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and the liberation of all Russian-occupied territories." You can see here the full text of the Free Russia Forum statement:

Statement by the Council of the Free Russia Forum on the events in the Kursk region

Observing the events that have unfolded in recent days in the Kursk region, we feel it necessary to emphasize the following.

As we have repeatedly stated, the war unleashed by Putin against Ukraine is criminal. Now this war is returning to Russia, which is quite natural. “He who sows the wind will reap the storm.” All the victims and destruction caused by this war, including on the territory of the Russian Federation, are a direct consequence of Putin’s criminal policy.

For Ukraine, this war is a defensive and just war. Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom and independence, for the right to exist on Earth as a state and a nation. They have the right to defend themselves as they see fit, while observing the laws and customs of war. The transfer of hostilities to the territory of the aggressor is their legal right.

We welcome the breakthrough by the Ukrainian armed forces in the Kursk region, which demonstrates to us that the course of the war is by no means a foregone conclusion. The local successes of Putin’s invaders in Ukraine turned out to be only an isolated episode of the war. Now the initiative has passed to the Ukrainians, which gives us hope that a Ukrainian victory in this war is not only possible, but quite probable.

Especially impressive is the fact that the current success of the AFU has been achieved with very limited supplies of weapons from Western countries and in the conditions of an acute shortage of manpower, about which all sorts of experts have been talking so much lately. The breakthrough of the AFU into the Kursk region once again convinces us that the fight for a righteous cause is the strongest motivation, which sometimes has a greater impact on the course of military operations than the weapons and equipment of soldiers.

What is happening in the Kursk region is the best answer to the skeptics who talk about the need for negotiations and the impossibility of reaching the 1991 borders. The course of the war is unpredictable, and its end result may turn out to be quite different from what was imagined.

Unfortunately, no combat operation is without casualties. We express our condolences to the families and loved ones of the civilians who were killed as a result of the fighting in Kursk region. At the same time, we draw their attention to the fact that the real culprit behind the deaths of these people (as well as all victims of the war) is the Russian dictator who unleashed this war and continues to wage it to this day.

We also recall that we have consistently supported Ukraine in this war since its beginning. We see the AFU as our natural allies in the fight against Putin’s tyranny. This is our fundamental difference from other sections of the Russian political exile, which have so far taken an insufficiently clear position on this war. We call on them to come to their senses and begin to provide effective support to those who are now confronting Putin’s aggression with weapons in their hands: the Ukrainian armed forces and Russian volunteers.

Our slogan – “Victory to Ukraine, freedom to Russia!” – takes on new meaning when we see the AFU marching through Russian territory, effectively liberating it from Putinism. Whatever the final outcome of this operation, one thing becomes clear: Putin’s regime is not as strong as it seems. It can be crushed by force of arms both in Ukraine and in Russia itself.

The Council of the Free Russia Forum August 09, 2024

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Photo: Microflag.net. Flag of Free Russia. These white-blue-white flags began to be used by the Russian opposition shortly after the beginning of that invasion. It is the flag used by the Free Russia Forum.