Correspondent Geert Groot Koerkamp:
Social media such as Facebook have been an important platform for critical voices and political discussions in Russia, especially since the massive protests in Moscow in 2011-2012. However, the devastation and anger at the Russian attack on Ukraine is extraordinary. The military operation has left almost no one untouched, with the result that people who normally share photos of dogs or cats, for example, now express those feelings.
Many Russians refer to this as ‘the darkest day of their lives’. A large-scale war with neighboring Ukraine is something that a lot of people never really thought possible.
It is still difficult to say what the attack has caused in wider sections of the population, as new opinion polls will soon show. Earlier this week, a majority appeared to agree with the recognition of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics in eastern Ukraine.
One of the many anti-war petitions online received more than 270,000 statements of support in five hours.
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