**Russia’s Dehumanizing War Propaganda Escalates**
In a disturbing example of Russia’s war propaganda, the state-run media outlet RIA Novosti published an article on July 30 that demands no Ukrainians be left alive. The piece, written by columnist Kirill Strelnikov, is a clear escalation in Moscow’s dehumanizing rhetoric.
**Denying Humanity and Promoting Genocide**
Strelnikov describes Ukrainians as “happy with their fate” and claims they are “ready to die” for what he derisively calls “the best army in the world.” He refers to Ukrainian soldiers as “laboratory rats,” denies their humanity, and includes a grotesque comment about “no need for lacy underwear for the dead.” This kind of language is designed to strip Ukrainians of their agency and portray them as expendable.
**A Long-Standing Kremlin Narrative**
This rhetoric reflects a long-standing Kremlin narrative that aims to deny Ukraine’s right to exist as a nation. Russia’s war effort has increasingly relied on genocidal framing, echoing prior statements by state officials and propagandists. The article dismisses Western military analyses recognizing Ukraine’s battlefield gains and derides U.S. and U.K. generals for praising Ukraine’s military.
**A Platform for War Propaganda**
RIA Novosti is one of Russia’s central state media arms and has consistently served as a platform for war propaganda, disinformation, and anti-Western messaging. Strelnikov, the article’s author, is a co-founder of the nationalist media project Politrussia and a frequent contributor to other Kremlin-aligned outlets. His previous articles have spread falsehoods about the war, many of which have been debunked by independent media.
**The Lived Reality**
Claims that Ukrainians are “ready to die” contradict the lived reality of a population resisting an unprovoked invasion, which Moscow started back in 2014, to defend their homes and sovereignty. This article marks a new low in Russia’s dehumanizing war propaganda, and it is essential to counter this narrative with facts and evidence.
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