What are the inhabitants of the "recognized republics" in social networks are talking about

On February 22, on the eve of the Defender of the Fatherland Day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia recognized the independence of the “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”) and “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”) within those borders that are enshrined in their constitutions. This event was another stage in the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which is now concentrated around the territories of the LDNR. The correspondent of Novaya studied that residents of Donetsk and Lugansk were discussing in their social networks. We tried to verify the information received in this way, but we cannot be completely confident in its reliability.

Mobilization

Last Saturday, February 19, the heads of the self -proclaimed “DPR” Denis Pushilin and “LPR” Leonid Pasechnik announced general mobilization. From that moment, men from 18 to 55 years old cannot leave the “republics”, state bodies have the right to remove transport and “other property necessary for the needs of defense” among enterprises, organizations and citizens.

After the start of the mobilization of one of the main topics in social networks, the actions of the military commandant's office became. Last Saturday, February 19, on the “Typical Donetsk” page on VKontakte (539 thousand subscribers) and “PE Donetsk” screenshots of SMS messages appeared , in which men 18–55 were called to come on 02/20/2022 at 12:00 Military enforcement materials at the place of registration. A photograph of the summons, which supposedly began to be carried to the houses, was attached to another day of the same day.

On Sunday, the rates rose. Starting on February 20, videos and photos are distributed on the Internet, in which people in military uniforms approach men on the street and take them to buses. Several publications with such a content were again laid out by the Public of Typical Donetsk. The first photographs, claimed, were taken in Lugansk. Later there were materials made allegedly at the Hercules Moloko hypermarket and the Continent shopping center in the center of Donetsk, as well as on the streets of the city.

- I wonder who they are taken away? If there is a “DPR” and “LPR” of a passport? ****** [Damn], you need to tick, the campaign, ”comments the male voice behind the scenes, as the military approach people at the shopping center.

The video from Lugansk became viral, which is more clearly visible how passers -by are taken to buses. The post with a similar, but already textual information was also published in the group "Overheard Lugansk".

Despite the fact that in the comments a significant part of the users doubts the reliability of publications and accuses the groups and other participants of forming panic, quite a few local residents (at least their pages looked “alive”, and the cities of the “republics” were indicated in the profiles) that either they themselves witnessed such incidents, or this happened to their acquaintances.

The correspondent of the "New" talked with a girl who, in the comments under one of these posts in Telegram, reported that a similar story happened to her young man. According to the girl (the interlocutor chose to remain anonymous), on February 21 they were stopped by men in the form near the store in Gorlovka. The guy was asked for documents, after which he began to talk about the fact that "now they call everyone."

“Probably, like many others, my young man found out whether it was possible to somehow not go to serve (he had given his homeland for a long time), which was followed by the answer, which is not,” the girl says. -After from his documents, some data were rewritten, the passport was returned, and along with the passport [handed] the agenda. They let go home, said to come on Tuesday, February 22. What will happen next is incomprehensible.

The fact that men are caught on the streets and they are being taken to the military enlistment offices, a resident of Lugansk Alexei, with whom the New Gazeta also contacted (the man remained in the Republic, is also said, since there is no opportunity to leave). They are already distributed there. Alexey is negative to mobilization, since he believes that only those who have a desire to fight should fight. According to him, the risks of victims are sharply increased due to cases of fright and readiness to fire against the enemy due to the insufficient preparedness of the "recruited" military personnel.

Queues

On February 18, residents of the "Republics" also actively began to write about lines in pharmacies. In the comments to the post in the “Native Lugansk” group, user Mikhail Frolov posted photos of such “queues” (although, judging by the photo, the inhabitants rather stood in the exchange point). The excitement was also talked about in the city of Khartsyzsk (the photo was published by the public “PE Donetsk”), and residents of other cities in the comments under posts. However, many complained about the injection of panic. “Damn, the child stood for the child for three hours. In front of me, a aunt ten meters of gauze took and ten bottles of peroxide. So I wanted to say: "Will you turn into a mummy?" - The woman wrote, apparently, located on the territory of one of the "republics". "People are simply afraid of the repetition of 2014." “Players and diapers are also bought in children's stores,” wrote other residents. Complained.

They are not only in pharmacies, but also in ATMs. Last Friday, the Typical Donetsk published photos of multi -meter bursts at ATMs. The same situation took place in the "LPR". One picture was posted in the evening of February 22 in the group "Overheard Lugansk / Reboot". In the photo in front of the Absolute supermarket, about 24 people are worth it. In the comments on the repost of this publication in the public “Black List of Lugansk”, users threw off other photos with queues of 20-30 people. According to Alexey from Lugansk, in fact, now there is no such problem.

“There are no queues to ATMs and pharmacies at the moment, since there are already no people in the city,” says the interlocutor of “New”. - The queues were on the first day (February 18. - Ed. ) , Because the State Bank was not ready for such a stream of people who will withdraw money. As soon as they announced the evacuation on TV, which no one is watching except grandmothers, pensioners rushed to shoot everything from all cards. In addition, advances and salaries were given on the eve of all events. It happened as if such a script was.

Evacuation

Several times a day in publics publish videos on which explosions are heard, photos with the results of shelling. Only on February 21 they were replaced by fireworks for a couple of hours. An important topic still remains evacuation - in the group "KPP | Izvarino Gukovo Dolzhanka | The border of the LPR-RF ” appears several posts per hour. The most popular type of questions are the conditions for leaving. Will they miss a child without a power of attorney? Can a husband go to Russia if he is not suitable for military service? What to do if the passport is valid after two weeks?

Information penetrates into other regional publics. People are interested in what conditions for refugees in the Rostov region and other regions of Russia. Trying to unite. Many offer their housing for families from "DPR" and "LPR".

Some are trying to take advantage of the situation. Every now and then there are posts in the spirit in regional publics: “I can place a girl at home, ideally to start a serious relationship with her. Moscow". In the group of the city of Gorlovka, on February 18, the user Vadim Boyko offered assistance with evacuation (he and his friend have three minibuses) and the placement of refugees in Russia. The place in the minibus cost a thousand rubles. The meme also was a commentary on a resident who asked if it was possible to evacuate to Rostov for Saturday and Sunday, to receive a payment of 10 thousand rubles, and by Monday to return to work.