On Wednesday, a rally was held on Theater Square in the capital of South Ossetia in support of the decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin on a military special operation to protect the DPR and the LPR. The organizer of the peaceful action was the Republican political party "United Ossetia". The rally brought together more than a thousand people from all districts of the Republic.
The rally was opened by the actor of the State Drama Theater Soslan Bibilov.
“We all know that now the Russian armed forces are conducting a special military operation to liberate and protect the DPR and the LPR from the Nazis. The people of South Ossetia, like no one else, understand all the pain and severity of the war, all the aspirations and hopes of the inhabitants of Donbass and Lugansk. We remember how Russia came to our aid and for the 14th year we have been living in peace and security. The same thing is happening in the Donbass. We have gathered for this rally to express our solidarity and unconditional support for Russia, its armed forces and President Vladimir Putin,” Bibilov said.
The first to speak was the head of the Republic Anatoly Bibilov.
“Dear brothers and sisters, today we have gathered to announce that the people of South Ossetia, the people who have endured the brunt of the war, who know the value of life, the people whom Russia saved from annihilation, support the military operation in Ukraine, support Russian President Vladimir Putin. We support because we ourselves have experienced the whole tragedy of the policy of nationalism and fascism. It was Russia that declared that the people of South Ossetia needed to be heard and protected…
Dear fellow citizens, I want to thank you for being with Russia, together with the people of Donbass. We are here to express support for the Russian Federation. Our thoughts and forces are with Putin and Donbass. Glory to Russia,” Bibilov said.
In support of Russia's special operation to protect the inhabitants of Donbass, Bala Bestauty, a holder of the Order of Huatsamonga, spoke out.
“I fully support the special military operation in Ukraine led by Vladimir Putin. For eight years the people of Donbass were being exterminated. If Russia had lingered even for a day, there would have been no one to save. Where were the people protesting today, when the inhabitants of Donbass were being exterminated for eight years? They sold themselves. Our Russian brothers extended a helping hand to us in 2008 and have been helping us ever since. Putin is the president of peace and good,” Bestauty said.
Zalina Tedeeva, a teacher at the South Ossetia State University, also spoke about the tragedy of Donbass.
“Dear compatriots. We are closely watching the dramatic events in the Donbass. We are deeply concerned about the fate of the fraternal peoples. For eight years, we have been closely watching how the will to freedom was being suppressed by the Ukrainian authorities with sword and fire. When a return to peace was impossible and it became clear that military aggression against the Donbass was being prepared, Vladimir Putin made the only right decision – he recognized the independence of the republics and announced the start of a special military operation to protect the peoples of the DPR and the LPR. The events of Donbass bring us back to the path that we have passed on the road to independence. When they were firing at us, when we turned to the world for help, they did not hear us. Only Russia came to our aid and forced Georgia to peace. Now Nazism, which is in power in Ukraine and dictates its will, is being destroyed in the Donbass. This ideology is dangerous for all mankind, therefore, we, the inhabitants of South Ossetia, supported Putin’s decision to launch an operation to completely exterminate Nazism,” Tedeeva said and expressed the hope that the Russian army soldiers would soon return home safe and sound.
Alan Farniev, a student of the South Ossetia State University, spoke on behalf of the youth.
“I want to express my gratitude to Vladimir Putin for starting the operation to protect Donbass. Like no one else, we understand the residents of the DNR and the LNR. Since 2008, I have been living in peace thanks to the courage of our guys and the help of Russia. I believe that thanks to Putin, people in Donbas will be able to live under a peaceful sky. We are against Nazism and war,” said Farniev.
Director of the National Museum Merab Zasseev and other members of the public have also made a speech.
