Антимилитаризм

This text was written as an answer to our foreign friends' questions about situation in the Eastern Ukraine and Russian anarchists' attitude towards that. We hope it will be of use to everybody interested in these matters.

The situation is complex and controversial and you should understand that the text below does not (and can't) reflect the opinion of all Russian anti-fascists and anti-capitalists. We discussed this within our group, but even here we have a couple of contradicting points of view.

YYA (Ystävyys, Yhteistoiminta ja Avunanto -network) organized 8.9.2014 a demonstration opposing the war in Ukraine. The demonstration opposed Russia's invasion in Ukraine, the war in Ukraine and demanded end to the war crimes.

Stop the war and human rights violations!

Meeting on September 8 at the Kolme Seppää -statue at 6.00 PM from where we will walk to Russian embassy at Tehtaankatu.

During July and August, more and more proof has emerged about the Russian involvement in the war in Ukraine, and on the 24th of August Russian troops crossed the Ukrainian border and and began the offensive towards Mariupol. More than 2000 people have already died in the war, and the Russian assault worsens things.

Revolutional greeting to all solidary comrades of the world!

We are the workers of Ukraine and active members of the most massive and radical protests of the last decades continuing development of avtonomous class movement.

The antigovernmental uprising that begun last autumn outgrown into destructible massacre for the working class. Naturally, upper classes of Russia and Ukraine easilly imposed values of patriotism and interethnic hatred to the working masses.

In the ongoing conflict, we support neither Ukrainian government nor pro-Russian factions that established their authority on the portion of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. The working class (i.e. everyone who has neither power nor capital) is equally alien both to the concept of ​​unitary Ukraine and to the ideas of ​​”federalization” or creation of new states — these are merely the games of politicians, drawing blood from ordinary people.

Anarchists, organizers of demonstration "Against the war in Ukraine" in Petrozavodsk, Russia were kidnapped and seriously injured by unknown people in masks.

On 9th of March, along with the traditional Food Not Bombs action, demonstration "Against the war in Ukraine" supposed to happen in Petrozavodsk, for a peaceful solution of tense situation there and prevention of bloodshed continuation.

Anarchist total objector Topi Lauko began his prison sentence 18th of
December in a low-security prison. He was transferred to a half-way house, maintained by Siltavalmennus NGO, in second half of February. Although in half-way house the conditions of detention are not harsh, he would still be happy to correspond with comrades around the world. He will be finally released 24th of April 2013.

Topi Louko
Vehnämyllynkatu 4
33560 Tampere Finland

In the developments in Libya are clearly seen three trends.

Anti-government demonstrations in Yemen and Bahrain have grown into the present rebellion. Opposition protests brutally suppressed by the authorities, nevertheless, the standoff continues.

program "Day of the deserter, 2011. February 19 12:00 - 13:00 Registration of participants. 13:00 Opening 13:15 - 15:45, "Why did I have served / not served in the Army." Seminar-diskussiya.Forma conduct. Those who wish to sit in a circle and share their impressions about how they "mowed" or "mowed down" from military service. Speak first comrades who have served in the armed forces. 15:50 - 17:00 Luncheon hosted by NWF activists.

At the time of firing on ground targets, which were held on Friday, 17 September, on the Crimean ground "Opuk" exploded two artillery shells. The explosion occurred on board the amphibious assault ship "Kirovograd" Ukrainian Navy.

As a result of the accident were seriously injured four members of the crew "Kirovohrad", they are taken to military hospitals in Sevastopol and Simferopol.

In Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office confirmed the explosion at the landing craft.

The Ministry of Defence is preparing another large-scale reform in the system of recruitment of the army. Amendments will be developed as early as September 1.
For example, plans to increase the enlistment age to 30 years and reduce the number of universities, providing a respite for the students.

Lance Corporal Joe Glenton , got charged for refusing to return to Afghanistan, delivered a speech at a rally in honor of his release: "I think it's a badge of honor - to receive a prison sentence.

The soldier, who was jailed after refusing to return to Afghanistan on the grounds that he opposed the war, was released from military prison in Colchester Monday, July 12, 2010.
Lance Corporal Joe Glenton was jailed for nine months from March 2010 after he admitted that he had been 2 years and 6 days AWOL.

Today, from 16:00 to 17:30 at the main military prosecutor's office anarchists and anti-militarist picket was organized against the draft. The picket was a reaction to the death of Omsk draftee Roman Suslov, who on May 22 was found hanged in a toilet train Moscow-Vladivostok.

They don't want to talk about Afghanistan. In Russia people try to forget about events, that happened between 1979-1989, to forget how much people was killed and how much of them became disabled, how much soldiers blindly fought for the "great nothing" and how much of them had no choice. We recall those memories. In Afghanistan there are still military operations, but now due to NATO's forces. It's called as "control over sore points of Near East".

Situation in Northern Caucasus and Libertarian reaction

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This article was originally published in Avtonom #30 in the Autumn of 2008. whole issue is available in PDF format  here. It was translated for Abolishing the Borders from Below #35 in Autumn of 2009  with a number of mistakes  corrected and some information updated..

It is of little doubt that the total failure of any attempts to oppose the Second Chechen War was the most bitter defeat of the Russian anarchist movement during the past decade. A feeling of total powerlesness in front of the brutal realities of the Chechenyan meat-grinder was pressing so heavily on the imagination of anti-authoritarians during the first half of the decade, that the movement was onlyable to recovere slightly when the intensity of the war gradually calmed down. 

A British soldier who refused to return to duty in Afghanistan and went on to speak at anti-war rallies was sentenced to nine months' detention in a military prison on 5th of March. Support group in London is going to appeal, but it's not known whether that can change the situation. Though, people from all over the world already could show, how much solidarity can be effective, organised on 4th and 5th of March actions in support of Joe  in UK, Italy, USA, Germany, Greece, Russia and earlier, in January, also in New Zealand and Poland. Thanks to those people, charge of desertion was dropped and instead of 10 years detention in prison Joe was sentenced to 9 months.