Russian soldiers drastically differ from Ukrainian service members because they are not human, according to an American transgender journalist recently appointed as an official spokesperson for Kiev’s territorial defense forces.
On Saturday, Sarah Ashton-Cirillo posted a 21-second clip on X (formerly Twitter) in which she is seen standing in front of a cardboard cutout of a Russian soldier. Pointing at the figure, the spokesperson asks: “Do you know the difference between us and them?”
While Ukrainians “are fighting for freedom,” Russians “are fighting for tyranny and dictatorship,” Ashton-Cirillo claimed, adding that the most distinctive feature is “pretty simple.”“We are human, and those guys most definitely aren’t,” she said, concluding the speech with the slogan “Glory to Ukraine.”
The video did not sit well with many social media users, with some describing it as “shockingly unpleasant” and “absolutely disgusting.” Another commenter recalled that viewing Russians as non-humans did not end well for Nazi Germany in the 1940s.
On Sunday, Ashton-Cirillo released a separate clip mocking Russian paratroopers as she hung the same figure of the soldier upside down by tying a rope to its ankles. Ashton-Cirillo said she was celebrating Russian Paratroopers’ Day, which falls on August 2.