Putin Has Instilled Fear Into His Own People, And Caused Economic Collapse The Likes Of Which Not Seen Since The 90’s.

Chinese citizens in Russia have claimed that the war has resulted in an economic downturn. The unrest has resulted in chaotic scenes, with people queuing to withdraw cash and shop for goods, and the authorities is arresting anti-war protestors.

Locals are outraged about the harmful results of the invasion of Ukraine, according to them, and are continuing to protest.

“Every single one of my Russian friends and neighbors has expressed opposition to the war. On March 8, a Chinese citizen of St. Petersburg named Yang told the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times that “the majority of Russian people thought it was wrong to attack another country no matter what the other country did.”

“Every day, a large number of protestors are detained, and a large number of new protesters emerge in St. Petersburg.”

In a phone chat on March 8, a Chinese Moscow resident called Han said authorities had begun cracking down on rebellious voices.

“Now, if you say one sentence against the war, you will be fined by the police in Moscow. If you dare to say anything else, the authorities will detain and arrest you,” Han added. “I heard the Russian Ministry of Culture has instructed Moscow theaters to be silent about the war.”

Yang and Han declined to give their first names because they didn’t feel comfortable speaking to the media about Russia’s invasion.

According to Yang and Han, the Russian people are opposed to the war not only because of injustice and inhumanity, but also because they despise the panic that the conflict has caused in the country. They claimed that everyone in Russia is suffering, though their difficulties are less severe than those encountered by Ukrainians.

“Russia’s economy is in the doldrums.” Russia was thrust back into the 1990s as a result of the war. “The ramifications are enormous,” Yang remarked. “We (Yang and her Russian friends) don’t believe the economy will revive in the next ten years,” Yang says.

“The Russian currency has been severely devalued. It has already lost 30% of its value,” Han stated. “People are considering ways to preserve the value of their investments.”

Inflation is extremely high in Russia, according to Han, and prices are increasing. Russians attempt to purchase frequently and rapidly in order to protect the value of their savings.

“Everywhere you go, you can see people lining up to get cash from ATM machines or bank counters,” Han remarked. “After receiving cash, individuals rush to markets and try to acquire products regardless of whether they require them or not.”

On March 8, Han and her husband went to Ashan, a huge Russian supermarket chain, and felt a lot of pressure.

“Today’s supermarket is substantially different than it was before the war.” “There are a lot of people here, and everyone’s expression is filled with fear,” Han remarked. “The food is plenty, and the cashiers are courteous, but the shoppers and cashiers are all in a panic.”

People in her immediate vicinity, according to Han, discussed the war’s progress and when it might end.

“I was told by my pals that inflation will continue to rise in the foreseeable future,” Han remarked. “We’re really concerned about our prospects.”

Yang stated that she and her Russian pals were attempting to convert all of their rubles into dollars.

“The official price of a US dollar has risen from over 70 rubles pre-war to 130 rubles today.” Banks, on the other hand, do not sell US currency. “They aren’t going to sell to you,” Yang stated. “On the illicit market, you can only buy US money.” The black market price of a US dollar has risen to 200 rubles today.”

For the next six months, Russia’s central bank has banned the use of rubles to purchase US dollars and other hard currencies.

Li runs a freight transportation company in Moscow’s Chinese trading industry. The shopkeepers in the market, he told the Chinese-language Epoch Times, were concerned about the fate of the young Russian servicemen.

“We heard that a large number of young troops were killed on the front lines. How can their families cope with these tragedies?” Li remarked. “We’re all opposed to the war.”

The act of invasion by Putin is deplorable on all fronts, and has done nothing but instill fear and uncertainty in the hearts of citizens across the world. The not so unprecedented toppling of the Russian economy is seemingly a speed-bump in Putins imperialist agenda. He seemingly has no regard for the lives of his people, and the people in the surrounding nations. This act of aggression is enough to consider the man mentally ill; Choosing to act in such a manner during this time in history. We have come to develop complex computing systems capable of breathing life into communities that have been subject to poverty and despair. Yet Putin seeks to walk back such progress, and take the lives of others without a second thought.