Ukrainian publisher combats Putin’s propaganda machine

Jerry Bellune

Apr 1, 2022

Photo by Matti from Pexels

Our fellow publisher in Ukraine, Serhiy Kulyasov, writes us regularly on what is happening there.

He was disappointed when the wife of a friend in Belarus wrote and called him a Nazi.

Life-long journalists like me abhor Vladimir Putin’s propaganda machine. It is churning out nonsense such as “Ukrainian Nazis” to influence thousands, if not millions, of people that his invasion is justified and was provoked by us, the evil empire in the West.

“All day today we have been preparing food packages for Kharkov bombed by Russian fascists,” Serhiy wrote. “We filled a big truck for people living in the ruins of a huge million-plus city.”

With no advertising or subscription money, he and his people continue to publish their newspapers to let fellow citizens know what is happening.

“Great news!” he wrote. “President Biden decided to finally close the sky over Ukraine by supplying our military with long-range air defense systems.”

This may help to prevent atrocities such as the bombing of a Mariupol theater marked “children.”

“A Russian pilot deliberately dropped a 500-kilogram bomb on a building where up to 1,000 people were hiding,” he wrote.

“Yesterday, several trucks arrived at our office and 12 girls I didn’t know came and quickly started sorting food packages for people in Kharkiv.

“This army of volunteers was led by the head of our advertising department. Now we live in a different reality.”

As of March 19, Ukrainian fighters have destroyed 466 Russian tanks, 60 truck tankers, 95 aircraft, 115 helicopters, 213 cannons, 44 air defense systems, 3 ships, 11 special vehicles and 14,400 armed Russian fighters, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reported.

Ukrainian fighters also have taken 562 Russians as prisoners, the Red Cross reported.

Moscow’s Defense Ministry claims less than 500 of its soldiers have been killed although thousands of corpses in body bags were reported in Belarus.

“We won’t give up,” Serhiy wrote. “Never.

“The Russians will burn in hell, which we will arrange for them here in a free Ukraine.” © Copyright 2022 The Bellune Company Inc.

Jerry Bellune, an editor and publisher, has reported from the United Nations, the Middle East, The Pentagon, State Department and the White House.