Collaborate Or Die: Ukrainian Councilor Alleges Russian Threats To Local Officials

Russian forces are threatening to shoot municipal officials in Kherson, according to a councilor from the Ukrainian city, where the Russian Army has seized control. Sergei Khlan said the Russians were searching for local activists and officials who were now in hiding.

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#russia #ukraine

[Erick]

Russian said that people living there identified themselves as Russians. Excuse me.... This is not what I see there. I see Ukrainians very proud of their country that do not want to be Russian. That's imposition.

[MartinA-vpbt]

How do these Russians even justify this???

[hamletksquid]

Rule #1 for surviving tyranny - Don't comply in advance. They can make you pretend to work for them at the point of a gun, but don't walk in and just go along to avoid the unpleasantness of being forced, and never do anything more than is specifically required of you. You can be a collaborator or a wrench in the gears.
Foreign occupiers always try to use existing government structures to manage their conquests, and they generally appoint a council of the occupied to be mouthpieces and for the population to focus their hatred on. These people have no real power, and refusing to do the occupiers' bidding leads to severe consequences. They also tend to have a short life span. Eventually they become virtual hostages of the occupiers in cases of acts of resistance by the public, and the public hates them as tools of the occupiers. Being hated by both sides, targeted by one, and liable to punishment or death at the hands of the other is a no-win game. Incompetence is a viable option, and so is assisting the resistance covertly. You'll probably get caught and the worst will happen, but the worst was going to happen anyway. At least there's a chance that after the war, someone will speak up for you and you won't get hanged by your own side. This kind of situation makes victims of the people involved, but some will fold and some will stand. The ones who go along aren't terrible people, or even especially weak. They're normal people who react to fear the way normal people do. The others, though, are a much rarer type. Valor in the dark without any expectation that anyone will ever know what you've done takes real strength of character.
The more you learn about history, the more it begins to seem like a broken record played with a loose needle. The songs are the same, but they sound a little different each time.

[lnteIIigence]

Very scary stuff. People disappeared during the Crimea invasion, taken, and have never been seen since. Just the heartbreak and lack of closure for their family and friends is pure evil, let alone their own fate.

[joannebottcher]

Please God help the residents of Kherson through this horrific oppression of their town administration and their political will.

[FirstLast-hgez]

Imagine signs like "Putin, time to retire" gets You arrested and thrown in Jail for months ...

[nightengale]

Freedom is worth the fight. Stay strong Ukraine! 💪🇺🇦💙💛🌻

[catmom]

I feel drawn to the news about Ukraine, but It makes me so mad that one despot has caused all this nonsense on a lie.

[mvnk]

Glory to Ukraine, Glory to the Heroes.🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

[kammunsan]

The bravery of Ukrainians is very inspiring 👏 God bless🙌
Ukraine 🇺🇦 U win keep fighting
lions 🦁 🦁 🦁

[aleksiklove]

Slava Ukraini!!!! Power from And <3<3<3<3<3

[fishtree]

It's so heartbreaking to see what's happening, how misguided Russian soldiers are doing Putin's dirty work... I hope Ukraine can hold back this tide of evil.

[michaelrosner]

Bravo to the Ukrainian people. Shame for the invading forces and person's who shall suffer the same, they gave to Ukrainian.
The same is bad enough, no need for more.

[zacmccracken]

When Kherson is liberated from Russian troops and Berkut thugs, there will be no escape for the Russian collaborators. Like the Nazi collaborators in France and the Netherlands, the Russian collaborators will be held accountable. Putin chuilo!

[rajanigurung]

History never forget the bravery of Ukrainian 👏🙌🙏😭

[lord]

I hope there are Russians who can be brave enough to over throw Putin and his regime. The only way this will end is with an internal uprising in Russia. This is one of the scariest times for the world. Peace has to prevail.

[aconsideredmoment]

Never cooperate. No matter how bad it is, it will be worse if you cooperate. Fight them when they sleep. Get out of the squares and organize as guerilla forces. Do not engage them directly. You will outlast them.

[kellysouter]

Return of the KGB. Raids? Fascism at its finest. A couple of weeks ago this was a normal country going about it's normal business. How can this not just happen but be left to go on for so long? Who's next?

[juantufuk]

Many, many Russians will d1e trying to control that city. Mark my words !
🙏's for Ukraine 🇺🇦
❤️ From 🇺🇸

[kerstinblume]

Was für mutige und stolze Menschen, Putin wird dieses Land niemals kontrollieren.