On April 20, the internet site eric-hartmann.com published a false news item, entitled “‘Vatnik’ Renounced Ukrainian Citizenship and Applied to Putin for Political Asylum. Subtle Trolling.” It was quickly spread among social networks.
In a posted video, Nikolai Kozhushko (who is referred to as a “vatnik” – a supporter of Russia’s aggressive policy and the so-called republics of east Ukraine) is seen saying the following: “I am a citizen of Ukraine, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk children’s non-governmental organization “Let’s Help Children,” the chief editor of the Dnipropetrovsk regional children’s newspaper “Let’s Help Children.” I, Kozhushko Nikolai Nikolaievich, renounce citizenship of Ukraine and ask the President of the Russian Federation Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich to grant me political and physical asylum.”
The video was posted on Oleksandr Vlasenko’s page on March 3, 2015.
However, this video is not new: It was first posted in January 2013, just after an attempt on Kozhushko’s life had been made. The full version of his video is addressed to the “President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych”.
Therefore, Kozhushko can’t be referred to as a vatnik, and his appeal is not related to the policy of the Ukraine’s current president, Petro Poroshenko, and to the current policies of Putin.
