Russian human rights ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova said that some Russian citizens abroad are being harassed and attacked because of their nationality.
“Some Russians who are abroad have faced harassment from foreign citizens. People who just do their job, try to live in difficult conditions, support their families, are attacked because of their nationality, ”Moskalkova wrote on Instagram.
The Ombudsman claims that in social networks “angry foreigners insult schoolchildren and students originally from Russia”, while Europeans and US citizens “blame them for what is happening in Ukraine only because they are Russians.”
As an example, Moskalkova spoke about a trucker who was traveling from Germany to Belgium for cargo. “In the parking lot of trucks, all the headlights of his car were smashed, and the arriving policemen shrugged their hands and left,” the Ombudsman said.
On February 21, the President of Russia announced the recognition of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DNR and LNR). He signed federal laws on the ratification of treaties of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with these republics, which include, among other things, military assistance to these territories. On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in the Donbass.
Putin called its goal the protection of people who “are subjected to bullying, genocide by the Kiev regime.” At the same time, he noted that Russia has no plans to occupy Ukraine, but Moscow will strive for the demilitarization and denazification of this country. Western countries condemned the military operation and began to impose sanctions against Russia.