'They raped our women, ate dogs': Man City player berates ex-Russian teammates for no help

Manchester City star Oleksandr Zinchenko has criticised his former teammates in Russia for failing to speak out against the conflict in Ukraine. Zinchenko, a Ukrainian footballer, previously played for FC Ufa in Russia before relocating to England's Premier League. In an interview with The Guardian, Zinchenko expressed his disappointment with his former teammates in Russia for failing to condemn the ongoing violence in his nation.

The 25-year-old stated that he understood why his Russian colleagues may have chosen to remain silent, stating that it could be due to a fear of being imprisoned. Zinchenko, on the other hand, believes that footballers, who have a large audience, should be unconcerned. He further stated that if all of his former teammates posted anti-war messages on social media at the same time, no one would be imprisoned.

"I have friends over there, a small circle, but now it has reduced almost to nothing. I'm so disappointed. The guys I know called me as soon as the invasion happened, texting me: 'I'm so sorry, Alex, but we can't do anything'. Of course you can. If you stay silent it means you support what is happening in Ukraine right now, and I can't see why they would," Zinchenko said. 

"Maybe they are scared, because we see pictures on social media of Russians being taken to prison if they protest. But look at footballers in particular or anyone with a massive audience. Can you believe that, if all of them posted something on Instagram at the same time saying: 'Guys, we are against the war, we need to stop it' they would all be arrested? Of course they would not. And it's such a shame that they say nothing," he added. 

'They raped our women, ate our dogs'

Zinchenko went on to describe the heinous events that have occurred in his homeland in recent days. He went on to detail the crimes perpetrated by Russian forces in various parts of Ukraine. Russian troops, according to Zinchenko, have killed civilians, including children, as well as raped women and girls. They even slaughtered and ate their dogs, as per Zinchenko. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 via land, air, and sea. Since then, an all-out war has been ongoing in various locations in Ukraine. 

"They killed our civilians. They killed our children. They raped our women and girls. They killed our dogs and even ate them. I cannot even begin to describe how I feel about them. I hate them so much, for everything they have done to the Ukrainian people and Ukraine. And I hate the people in Russia who are trying to convince others that this is propaganda. It's embarrassing. How can they say this? People sent me pictures, the real facts. The bodies of our dead civilians were lying on the ground for two weeks. They have to take responsibility for this," he concluded. 

Image: AP