Russian Leader Vladimir Putin received reactions from all over the world when he started to invade Ukraine on February 24. The Russian people, who were cut off from the internet by the sanctions imposed on the country, and exposed to the manipulations of the media in their own country, began to have a hard time getting information about the inner side of the war. In this case, it caused the public to seek new methods to obtain information.
As in every country and everywhere, there are many people with different opinions in Russia. Some of the Russian people do not hesitate to openly express that they do not support this military move of Putin. Unfortunately, this is not the case for the general audience. One of those who made an important claim in this regard was a former NASA astronaut. Astronaut Scott Kelly, who once served on the International Space Station, claimed that his Russian colleagues had been brainwashed.
“They believe everything that happens in Ukraine is fake”
Former astronaut Scott Kelly had a very eventful interview with Newsweek. Kelly, who sincerely answered the questions asked and expressed his anger, made shocking allegations. Noting that he had interviews with Ruz cosmonaut colleagues, Kelly claimed that the commanders gave false information about the ongoing invasion and that the facts were hidden from the Russian cosmonauts.
Moreover, this was not Kelly’s biggest claim. Kelly added, “I talked to my other Russian colleagues about this atrocity, and they all believe it is fake, that Ukraine committed these crimes and blamed them on the Russians, or that they are fabrications.” He claimed that Russian commanders brainwashed the astronauts. Kelly explained this claim by saying that some Russian cosmonauts told him this.
Kelly claimed that NASA told him to stop criticizing Russia so that cooperation between the USA and Russia could continue. The astronaut stated that he was very angry and hateful in the face of these situations and that he would continue to talk about these issues. He pointed out, though, that not all Russians are the same and that some of his colleagues want to leave the country and that people should not lump all Russians together.