Kremlin uses comics to glorify Ukraine war among young Russians

MOSCOW, May 30 (BBC): War-themed comic books are being used by the Kremlin to sell its vision of the war in Ukraine to the youth. During the first months following the start of invasion of Ukraine, a poll by the Russian state pollster suggested that young Russians were the least supportive of the war.
It now seems the Kremlin is taking steps to ensure that changes. In April, the Russian defence and education ministries started distributing tens of thousands of comic books that praise the invasion of Ukraine in schools across Russia and Ukraine's Russia-occupied territories.
According to the project's official website, the goal is ultimately to supply these comics to every school under Russian control. The comics consist of 22 short stories dedicated to Russian servicemen decorated for their role in the war.
They echo the Kremlin's unfounded claim that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 prevented a "genocide" planned by Kyiv authorities in eastern Ukraine and backed by Nato countries.
Among the protagonists is Col-Gen Azatbek Omurbekov, the commanding officer of the unit responsible for the killing of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha in 2022. The comic book describes Mr Omurbekov as a "real man" and claims that his troops have shown "humanity" during the first months of the war in Ukraine.
"As they [Ukrainian soldiers] retreated, the enemy abandoned their wounded. Russian soldiers gave them first aid - even in war, one must remain human," the comic reads.
In fact, Russian troops have been accused of torturing and killing Ukrainian prisoners of war by major rights groups, including Amnesty International and the United Nations human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine.
The books were written by Oleg Roy, a prominent Russian children's author and a vocal supporter of the war in Ukraine. The comics employ the anti-Western, anti-Nato and anti-Ukrainian rhetoric long peddled by Russian authorities. "Out of hatred for Russia, the West arms their puppy neo-Nazis in occupied Kyiv," one of the books reads.
Mr Roy previously created a series of comics devoted to patriotic "Russian superheroes" which were praised by Kremlin-backed media as Russia's "answer to DC and Marvel".
In September 2023, another series of 23 war-themed comics was issued by prominent military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk, who is also part of the Russian Presidential Council on the War in Ukraine. These comics were translated in English, Arabic and Chinese.