Ukraine: Russian Invasion & War
My personal viewpoint as a radio amateur
In August 2019, my wife ON3EBR and I took a city trip to Kyiv. We visited the numerous sights and had a wonderful time.
At Maidan Square, we reflected on the suffering that the Ukrainian capital faced a few years earlier when the population resolutely turned its gaze westward.
In 2014, in a clear violation of international law, the Ukrainian territory of Crimea was invaded and annexed by Russians.
Despite these scars, we experienced this splendid city of Kyiv as very open and we enjoyed the friendly hospitality that came our way.
With dismay, the world faced another unprovoked Russian invasion and war against Ukraine in February 2022. Putin’s army from the beginning committed horrific war crimes against the Ukrainian people. The images from Bucha should never be forgotten by any civilized human being. The criminal regime in Moscow should absolutely be condemned and isolated while the strongest possible sanctions should be imposed. The Kremlin bastards need to be judged by a warcrime tribunal.
The Russian horror also caused several fellow HAMs in Ukraine to lose their lives.
Russian radio amateurs should be better informed than ordinary people in some remote village. After all, thanks to their hobby and shortwave, they have access to much more information than the average Russian has. Although one might ask why, thanks to the Internet, even the better-educated urban Russian isn’t able or willing to see through the fake propaganda of the criminal regime of Putin and his cronies.
An old agadium states that politics and HAM radio should remain strictly separate. The IARU continues to defend this position today.
I agree to this, but … there is also a moral aspect.
Apparently, Russian crimes may count on the approval of quite a few Russian radio amateurs and their clubs. A little web search is sufficient to trace numerous examples.
After all, how else but clear support for Russian war crimes can you interpret this example on the right? Look carefully at the screenshot. Do you notice the logo of the Russian IARU association at the top of the page?
IARU apparently isn’t too serious about separation between politics and radio amateurism when it comes to its member association in the Russian Federation?
The well-known Russian award program RDA (Russian Districts Award) unashamedly lists the illegally annexed Ukrainian territories in Crimea as Russian districts.
Tell me: how can a peace-loving amateur radio operator justify chasing these awards any longer?
The conditions described above disturbed me tremendously. Hence, since February ’22 I limit my contacts with Russian radio amateurs to an extreme minimum.
Except for an – unfortunately due to the construction of the software almost unavoidable – occasional computer to computer QSO in the digital FT8 mode – I do not wish any Russian stations to fill up my logbook until further notice. Even if this means that I can no longer participate in international contests where it is necessary to work Russians in order to achieve an orderly score. This is the price I gladly pay for the sake of my morality. Of course, I firmly ended my membership of the Russian clubs such as the Russian Robinson Club etc.
Needless to say I strongly support those IARU societies who decided that under the given circumstances Russian en Belorussian should be banned from their competitive events such as contests.
Recommended reading on the Russian horror based on a Ukrainian radio amateur's testimony
Available from the RSGB store