Given that some of the Azov are literally Nazis (https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ukraine-crisis/german-tv-s...), that's hardly completely beyond the realms of possibility. Or we're supposed to start giving Nazis the benefit of the doubt now just because Russia started it?

Given that Russia deployed Wagner Group in Ukraine, whose founder has SS tattoos on his neck, why unsubstantiated statements from Russia are to be believed?

Russia is also a known hotbed for neonazis. So is Alabama. Just because a region has small factions of race extremists it doesn’t mean they’re blowing up nuclear reactors.

But Russia’s history of false flag operations and whataboutism are so well-documented that it’s literally a textbook example. They’ve invaded Georgia and Ukraine before using the same exact lies. Putin’s history in Chechnya is also horrific. So you should trust Russia saying they’re coming to liberate someone as much as you should trust a certain other country coming to liberate someone: you shouldn’t.

> Russia is also a known hotbed for neonazis

Any source to it that doesn't try to stretch the meaning of pseudo-term "right-wing" to mean "neonazis"? Are there knows instances of Russia openly incorporating entities publicly identifying with neonazi rhetorics and symbolics into their government structures?

> But Russia’s history of false flag operations and whataboutism are so well-documented that it’s literally a textbook example.

Could you refer us to this documentation? Should be an interesting read.

> They’ve invaded Georgia before using the same exact lies

Are you denying the fact that Saakashvili had invaded Tskhinvali, the capital of South Osetia, trying to solve a century old ethnic conflict[1] by force, which was last time put on cold under Russia's military guarantees[2]? What lies are you referring to exactly?

1 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgian–Ossetian_conflict

2 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sochi_agreement

I mean there’s the Wagner Group very conspicuously using a German name despite being Russian and familiar skull design acting as a paramilitary organization in Russia’s “liberation” activities. [1]

There’s the fact 90% of Ukraine was completely peaceful just a month ago other than Russian funded “separatists” in the east constantly stirring things up. [2]

Russia claimed the whole Crimea operation was soldiers on vacation until they started blowing the place up and seized it. [3]

And Russia’s detraction from its own issues is so well known it has a wiki article. [4]

You’re more transparent than you think you are.

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagner_Group

[2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Donbas

[3] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/08/2...

[4] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_you_are_lynching_Negroes

Too many years of everybody and their grandma being called “literally Nazi”.

It's a quoted statement...