Russia orders arrests for criticism of war - Scott Lucas - TVP World
The Russian armed forces are making a mockery out of their former reputation through a string of spectacular failures, and yet if you live in Russia, you're not supposed to talk about it, because that could damage the standing of the armed forces. Alexander Rodnyansky and theater director Ivan Vyrypaev, both vocal critics of Putin and the invasion of Ukraine, have been accused of "spreading false information" about the Russian army. More in our interview with Prof. Scott Lucas from the Clinton Institute at University College Dublin.
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As well as anyone who mentioned it on his state-run TV. I remember hearing about one news employee who managed a daring escape after she was arrested and jailed. 
And you know that I spent time in Russia back in the day. And though I was originally horrified that my grandmother would consider going there - since I grew up being told that the Russians wanted to kill us - I didn't find it all that way. People were friendly, most younger people (post WWII) spoke English, and they couldn't have been more welcoming. I only ran across one weirdo in our travels which is pretty good average - and then there was the elderly shoemaker woman who spit on the ground after saying "Reagan" when she found out we were Americans. But when one of the ladies I was with explained that we preferred Carter, she became our best friend. So I can't even begin to imagine what life is like for these people now - constant fear and repression. And Americans are definitely NOT welcome. 
