Putin’s propaganda has been feeding the Russian people lies about Ukraine. Almost all opposition newspapers have been shut down. Many social media sites have been blocked. As a result, many Russian people don’t know what’s really going in Ukraine. As a result, our goal is to call them directly to let them know.

Putin is hellbent on conquering Ukraine. Thus far, thousands of dead Russian soldiers and sanctions have been unable to stop him. Only the Russian people can, and he is deathly afraid of them. He is hoping the Russian people will never understand the true cost of the war: the thousands of dead Russian sons, fathers, and brothers not coming home, the destruction of Russia’s economy and international standing.

The Russian propaganda have been on overdrive for many years now. Many truly believe in Putin’s pretexts for war. As a result, the goal of calling Russian people is not to shame. That won’t stop the war, only prolong it. Instead, the goal is to share with them the truth about the war, including the following facts: Russia is completely destroying many cities of Ukraine, including Mariupol, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Kyiv where many Russian speakers live. There have been millions of refugees and thousands of civilian casualties. By most credible estimates, Russia has sustained a heavy casualty rate in the war, with at least 10,000 death and 2 or 3 times as many wounded. Ukraine is being led by a Jewish president whose ancestors suffered in World War 2. The Ukrainian parliament has no neo-Nazi parties.

Ask them (don’t tell them!) if they’ve heard about the high casualty rate or the bombing of cities. Ask them about their source of information and if they’ve considered other sources of information outside the government’s sphere of influence. If they start to dispute the facts or become defensive, switch subjects and end on a good note. The goal is not to persuade, but to cast some doubt on the official government narratives about the war. Introduce yourself and ask if they have a couple of minutes to speak. Ask how they are doing and if they’ve heard anything about what’s going on in Ukraine (avoid using the word “war” since Russians are prohibited from using it and that may scare them off)