It's not just the war in Ukraine that has erupted since Russian soldiers invaded its neighbors under the orders of Pres. Vladimir Putin. Russian families, who have different views on the invasion, are also clashing with each other on Facebook.
Jean-Michel Scherbak, a Russian actor, revealed to his followers on social media that his mother blocked him after posting that he feels shame for his country's actions. His mother, a loyal and long-time follower of Putin, tagged him as a traitor.
Clashing politics with his family is not new to Scherbak. As far as he can remember, his mother has always been trying to "talk sense" into him regarding his political opinions.
Scherbak is just one of many other Russians who do not support the Ukraine invasion. He's also one of the thousands who received criticisms from families or friends for speaking out against the war in Ukraine.
More Family Conflicts amid War
Alex, a Russian who works in Poland, said that his phone calls to his parents in his homeland these days would always end up in an argument. His mother also told him to stop posting his sentiments against the war in Ukraine as it could land him in trouble. His father, however, is more neutral because he has relatives fighting for Ukraine.
Daria, another young Russian, said that she tries to avoid discussing the war among family members or friends whose views don't align with hers. The 25-year-old said that she doesn't want to put herself or her family in an emotionally challenging position when more serious conflicts are happening around them.
Lisa, a young mom from Ukraine but have parents who live in Russia, said that her mother and father do not believe that the Russian soldiers have killed and attacked Ukrainian civilians. She said that the disinformation campaign and propaganda from the Kremlin had been effectively convincing the Russian people.
The mom also said that, before the invasion, she had a hard time convincing her parents that the threat was real, as per Yahoo news. Her mother told her that Ukrainians were crazy to panic about the war, and they never believed that Russia would launch an attack.
Cousins Killing Cousins
However, for some families, it's more than just Facebook blocking or arguments. There are cousins killing cousins in this war as many Ukrainians and Russians, who used to be part of the Soviet Union, have relatives on both sides of the fence.
Nina Ryakhovskaya, a Russian based in Ukraine, said that her cousins over the border believe that these are just military exercises. However, Ryakhovskaya's Ukrainian husband has joined the frontlines to defend his country. The mom and wife said that she would not be able to forgive her cousins if her husband was killed in action.
Dan Hubbard in America, on the other hand, said that he has cousins and relatives in Ukraine and Russia and dread the thought that they will end up killing each other. He has not been watching the news because it filled him with anguish and said that the thought of cousins killing cousins is a "madman's fantasy."
