Over the past few months, Ukrainian citizens have slowly but surely been forced into Russian
ways of life. This is because Russian President, Vladimir Putin, believes Ukrainian land is
Russian territory, so the Ukrainian people should follow the Russian ways of life.
Some examples of this alarming change would be the government handing out Russian
Passports, replacing all Ukrainian cell phone numbers and television shows with Russian ones, and even replacing the Hryvnia, the Ukrainian form of currency, with the ruble, the Russian form of currency.
However, worse than all of these, comes Vladimir Putin’s fraudulent election for president of
these small villages and cities. One such city, Kherson, located in the south of Ukraine, has
already started to pressure civilians into voting for Putin to be their president. In fact, they are
recruiting pro-Russian locals to convince them of the benefits of joining Russia.
In Ukraine, the occupation of Russian soldiers has caused a shortage in medicine and cash.
The Russians will most likely try to exploit this and win the allegiance of the Ukrainian people by distributing humanitarian aid.
However, the Russian forces were not all saints and angles. According to Western and
Ukrainian officials, the Russian forces abducted, tortured, and executed political figures whom
they deemed to be a threat.
Andrei, a 33-year-old who worked in the car industry recently said, “There is no money in
Kherson, there is no work in Kherson… Kherson has returned to the 1990s when only vodka,
beer, and cigarettes were for sale.” Andrei has since left the city of Kherson and took his wife
and child and moved to Western Ukraine.
Following this, Russian occupants have limited access to popular apps in Ukraine, such as
YouTube and Viber. They have also changed the school system to the Russian curriculum.
Putin has referred to places such as Kherson as “New Russia.” In the older generations,
nostalgia for the Soviet past, as well as skepticism in the Western ways, stayed on their minds.
ways of life. This is because Russian President, Vladimir Putin, believes Ukrainian land is
Russian territory, so the Ukrainian people should follow the Russian ways of life.
Some examples of this alarming change would be the government handing out Russian
Passports, replacing all Ukrainian cell phone numbers and television shows with Russian ones, and even replacing the Hryvnia, the Ukrainian form of currency, with the ruble, the Russian form of currency.
However, worse than all of these, comes Vladimir Putin’s fraudulent election for president of
these small villages and cities. One such city, Kherson, located in the south of Ukraine, has
already started to pressure civilians into voting for Putin to be their president. In fact, they are
recruiting pro-Russian locals to convince them of the benefits of joining Russia.
In Ukraine, the occupation of Russian soldiers has caused a shortage in medicine and cash.
The Russians will most likely try to exploit this and win the allegiance of the Ukrainian people by distributing humanitarian aid.
However, the Russian forces were not all saints and angles. According to Western and
Ukrainian officials, the Russian forces abducted, tortured, and executed political figures whom
they deemed to be a threat.
Andrei, a 33-year-old who worked in the car industry recently said, “There is no money in
Kherson, there is no work in Kherson… Kherson has returned to the 1990s when only vodka,
beer, and cigarettes were for sale.” Andrei has since left the city of Kherson and took his wife
and child and moved to Western Ukraine.
Following this, Russian occupants have limited access to popular apps in Ukraine, such as
YouTube and Viber. They have also changed the school system to the Russian curriculum.
Putin has referred to places such as Kherson as “New Russia.” In the older generations,
nostalgia for the Soviet past, as well as skepticism in the Western ways, stayed on their minds.
