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Assignment: The parallel universe of Russia’s war

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23/02/2023 GMT

The parallel universe of Russia’s war

BBC World Service - Assignment, The parallel universe of Russia’s war

How were Russians persuaded to support a war against their closest neighbour Ukraine?

Why do so many Russians support – or at least accept – a war against their closest neighbour? We meet some of those who’ve persuaded them that they’re the ones under attack.

A year on from the invasion of Ukraine, many Russians now inhabit a parallel world that justifies the conflict. How have they been persuaded to support, or accept, a war against a country they had the closest of personal and historical ties with? Assignment talks to some of the persuaders – a celebrated war correspondent, a top talkshow host, a popular singer and poet, and a volunteer fighter – to understand how Russians’ understanding of the conflict has been forged. What are the memories and fears that have been invoked to convince many that it’s Russia, not Ukraine, that’s fighting for its survival?

(Photo of Russian war reporter Alexander Kots)

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