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The Invasion of Ukraine Shocked Russians, So They Went Into Hiding

As depressing as what is happening is, patriots must fight and resist at every turn before it’s too late.

B Kean
5 min readMar 18, 2025
Courtesy of Mirage

When the invasion of Ukraine began on the morning of February 24th, 2022, it wasn’t just the Ukrainians who were surprised. Living in St. Petersburg then and completely unaware I would leave in two days not to return, I recall how everyone I spoke to that day was utterly shocked by what happened. As I rode the bus to my Thursday afternoon date with an ice rink on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, I passed the first stirrings of protest: No to War signs were appearing all over the city.

That evening, while having some post-skate beers with friends, we sat and openly talked about how Putin was a monster and the war was a criminal act. The bartender and some other patrons agreed with us, but one young man said that the war was Nato’s fault. I wonder if that guy is still alive today. He was very pro-Putin and stated confidently that Ukraine belonged with Russia. Others playfully told him to shut up and drink his beer. In short, no one expected the war to start, but most, even those against it felt confident it would end quickly. That is why we didn’t pack anything when I left with my family.

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B Kean
B Kean

Written by B Kean

The past holds the answers to today’s problems. “Be curious, not judgmental,” at least until you have all the facts. Think and stop watching cable news.

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