In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine this year, the defenders of the instigator Putin emerge on Twitter and various other websites with many slogans and memes. According to them:
- "Ukraine keeps bombing the Russian-majority towns in the east"
- "Russia will protect these two 'republics', Donbass and Luhansk."
- "Ukraine supports Nazism (Azov Battalion), so Russia must occupy the country to eliminate Nazism"
- "Ukraine might bring NATO to invade Russia if it becomes part of the EU, so Russia must occupy Ukraine to force it to become a buffer state"
- (hardliner nationalists) "Ukraine is a puppet state [by the Jews/West/America/insert scapegoat conspiracy], so Russia must make it south Russia"
Here, I shall translate them into English for you to understand.
Source: @SurfV on Twitter: link
- #мненестыдно - мне нестыдно (Mnje njestydno) - "I am not ashamed"
- "Not ashamed" to support Putin's war against Ukraine.
- #путинмойпрезидент - путин мой президент (Putin moj Prezident) - "Putin my president"
- Putin has become popular due to his policies causing an economic recovery, and conservative Christian nationalism that might seem to be "resistant" to American domination.
- Putin has also become popular with nationalist and far-right groups in America and Western countries, not only due to his strict form of Christian, conservative nationalism but also for supporting their groups. He has also become popular with racialist, alt-right, and fascist groups as well - which is rather ironic for him to fight other fascists in Ukraine.
- #великаястрана - великая страна (vjelikaja strana) - "[the] great country [of Russia]"
- rarely used on Twitter
- #горжусьроссией - горжусь Россией (gorzhus' Rossiej) - "I am proud of Russia"
- Also a sarcastic slogan used by opponents against Putin to mock ultranationalism and poor conditions in Russia.
- #мывместе - мы вместе (my vmjeste) - "we are together"
- Supporting the separatist states of Donbass and Luhansk, two Russian militant groups.
- #МыЕдины - Мы Едины (my jediny) - "we are united"
- #Zaмир, #Z - за мир (za mir), зет (zjet) - "for peace", "zet"
- Russian nationalists believe that their destructive campaign will ensure peace for Ukraine, just by eliminating not just fascist groups like the Azov Battalion, but the rest of the country.
- Z is used in Russian tanks for regiments from the Eastern Military District, a large region that goes up to Siberia. Ever since its support by the Russian government, nationalists in Russia also use this symbol in online profiles and hashtags to support the war against Ukraine.
- The exact meaning of Latin alphabet "Z" used in Russian tanks is uncertain. It could mean:
- за победу (za pobjedu) - for victory, used in the Ministry of Defence's official Instagram account
- задача будет выполнена (za budjet vypolnjena) - the task will be completed
- за мир (za mir) - for peace
- за правду (za pravdu) - for truth
- запад (zapad) - westward [towards Ukraine]
- #своихнебросаем - своих не бросаем (svoikh nje brosajem) - "we do not leave our own [people/members]"
- Which means annexing two easterly districts in Ukraine into Russian control, and then waging war on the rest of Ukraine.
- #мызамир - мы за мир (my za mir) - "we are for peace"
- #запобеду, #Zaпобеду - за победу (za pobjedu) - "for victory"
- #ZaПравду - за правду (za pravdu) - "for truth"
- #КрымZaПутина - крым за путина (Krym za Putina) - "Crimea for Putin"
- In 2014, Ukraine's president was ousted over his ties with Russia during the Euromaidan protests. Crimea is then annexed into Russia, as it had a Russian majority.
- #РоссияСмотри - Россия Смотри (Rossija Smotri) - "Russia Watch"
- Also used by opponents of Putin to show Russian citizens footage of their country's attacks on Ukrainians and their cities, where such footage is censored or banned.
- #наДонбассевойна8лет, #8лет - на Донбассе война 8 лет (na Donbassje vojna vosjem ljet) - "at the Donbass War for eight years"
- Referring to the Donbass and Luhansk militants waging war against Ukraine since 2014.
- #ДНР - Донецкая Народная Республика (Donjetskaja Narodnaja Respublika) - "Donetsk People's Republic", one of two Russian separatist states in eastern Ukraine.
- #ЛНР - Луганская Народная Республика (Luganskaja Narodnaja Respublika) - "Luhansk People's Republic", one of two Russian separatist states in eastern Ukraine.
- #РусскаяВесна - Русская Весна (Russkaja Vjesna) - "Russian Spring", more often used by nationalists in Instagram for the Donbass and Luhansk separatists.
- #СилаVправде - Сила в Правде (Sila v Pravdje) - "Force of Truth"
- #ГероиZ - Герои зет (Gjeroj zjet) - "Heroes of Z", the Russian invaders
- #ТолькоVперёд - Tol'ko vpjerjod) - "only forward"
- #ZаДонбасс - za Donbass - "for Donbass"
- #ZаПацаноV - za Patsano V - "for the boys of V", the Russian soldiers
- #Zанаших - za nashikh - "for us", Russians
