Ukraine | RMNB

Former Capital Dmitri Khristich in Ukraine: ‘We are fighting hard, doing our best’

Dmitri Khristich appears to be the latest Ukrainian sports star joining the fight against Russia. The former hockey star notably wore number 8 with the Washington Capitals before Alex Ovechkin.

Khristich was born in Kyiv which was part of the USSR in 1969. Now it’s the capital city of Ukraine that Russia is trying to besiege.

TSN’s Gord Miller shared a message he received from Khristich on Saturday.

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By Ian Oland 1 year ago

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Alex Ovechkin wants ‘no more war’, hopes Russia’s conflict with Ukraine ends soon

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin spoke to the media today following the team’s practice in Philadelphia. Ovechkin answered questions about Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine and whether or not he supports Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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By Peter Hassett 1 year ago

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Alex Ovechkin Defends, Deflects #SaveChildrenFromFascism Photo

Editor’s note: This is another short piece about Ukraine and Ovechkin. Unlike last time, it’s light on political opinion and condensed history, but if you don’t want any politics in your sports, feel free to skip over this one. All opinions in here are my own.

NHL media day went a bit off-topic today as the press asked Alex Ovechkin about the controversial photo he shared late last month. Speaking with Craig Custance of ESPN, Ovechkin said, “I don’t try to make a statement.” He was speaking about the photo of him literally holding a statement in front of his chest.

“I just don’t want a war,” Alex Ovechkin said, just two weeks after holding up the Kremlin-coordinated slogan used to justify its war in Ukraine, while wearing a “no war” shirt.

It’s only the latest convolution of this nearly incomprehensible story.

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By Peter Hassett 9 years ago

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Russia, Ukraine, and What Alex Ovechkin’s #SaveChildrenFromFascism Photo Means

Editor’s note: There is news and reporting in here, but it’s also an opinion piece. My opinions are my own. I won’t speak for anyone else at RMNB. I also encourage everyone to do their own research on this and not just take me- or anyone else– at face value. Frankly, I’d rather not write about this at all, but it seems inappropriate for a site named “Russian Machine Never Breaks” not to address this somehow.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin shared the above photo on Instagram this morning.

In the photo, Ovechkin, wearing a t-shirt that reads “No War,” holds up a sheet of paper pasted to posterboard, reading “#SAVE CHILDREN FROM FASCISM” [sic].

It sounds like an implicit message of support for the rebels of Ukrainian. Those rebels, allegedly funded and armed by the Kremlin, have been fighting against the Ukranian government in an ever-escalating war. As of this morning, there are reports that as many as a thousand Russian soldiers have now joined that war. That, it seems, is how Russia intends to save children from fascism.

In short, this is chauvinistic Russian propaganda.

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By Peter Hassett 9 years ago

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