Vladimir Tikhonov from Petrozavodsk held an anti-war picket on February 16. He opposed Russia's military actions in other countries and suggested finding a sister-city for Petrozavodsk in Ukraine. The Stolitsa Onego (‘the capital of Onego’) Media Outlet reported this.
Activist Vladimir Tikhonov from Petrozavodsk held a one-person picket against the war between Russia and Ukraine. He stated that he "did not like the militaristic mood in the country." Tikhonov was standing with a poster near the Gallery of Sister-Cities and suggested finding a sister-city for Petrozavodsk in Ukraine.
In 2022, activists from Moscow, Kirov, Ivanov, Tomsk opposed the conflict between the two countries; the Yabloko Party launched a petition. Kiev's residents held rallies demanding peace.
During talks with Western governments’ leaders, US President Joe Biden announced the date when Russia's invasion of Ukraine was going to begin – February 16, 2022. American Politico Media Outlet reported that. British tabloids The Sun and The Mirror announced the same date, citing sources in US intelligence.
In February 2022, more than 16 countries recommended their citizens to leave Ukraine. On February 14, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said in an address to the nation that "Donbass and Crimea would return to Ukraine," but "through diplomacy only." He declared February 16 the Day of Unity in the country. Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, considered the assumptions about the war to be a provocation and disinformation.
As Meduza* reported, some foreign affairs experts and political scientists were sure that there would be no invasion by Russia. In their opinion, Russian troops on the borders are a way of political pressure on Ukraine and Western countries.
