Russia’s insane reaction to drawing as schoolgirl is forced into an orphanage
A schoolgirl has been forced into an orphanage after authorities discovered a picture she had drawn about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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A 13-year-old girl who drew an anti-war picture that infuriated Russia’s government has been sent to an orphanage, according to a report.
And her father was “violently interrogated” and placed under house arrest after her school reported her to police over the drawing.
Masha Moskaleva drew an anti-war picture of a woman with her arm outstretched, protecting a child, as Russian bombs fly towards them.
The Ukrainian flag was placed behind the children and the words, “Glory to Ukraine” and “No to war” were written on the drawing.
But one of Masha’s teachers saw the drawing and reported her to the principal, who alerted police in Yefremov, 320km south of Moscow.
It was reported that agents from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) showed up to question the girl.
Her father Alexei Moskalev said FSB agents were waiting for the Masha at the entrance of her school and asked all the students their names as they left.
Masha managed to give the agents the slip after giving them a fake name, The Mirror reports.
“She came running home and said, ‘Dad, the police almost caught me – I drew a picture!’
“She was scared and I promised I would come to her school and wait for her until classes were over,” he said.
The single father was reportedly “violently interrogated” and Masha was forcibly sent to an orphanage. Mr Moskalev was told by authorities he was raising the child “incorrectly”.
He has been placed under house arrest and faces a jail term for “discrediting” the army because he spoke out publicly about the incident
Russian President Vladimir Putin was slammed on social media after Masha’s story went viral.
“Putin’s diseased mind has made him desperate and he is now scraping the bottom of the barrel,” one person wrote on Twitter.
Alyona Agafonova, a volunteer who is assisting the family, said: “[Alexei] is forbidden to communicate with anyone. He lives alone, so he can’t even go to the store to buy food. No one knows what happened to the girl. She was last seen on March 1.
“I tried to get into the orphanage but they did not let us in. On March 6, I passed a phone to her to have her call me. But I have not heard from her.”
Mr Putin has banned statements that “discredit the military” after Russian invaded Ukraine last year in what the Kremlin describes as a “special military operation”.
Media and human rights group OVD-Info alleges that 544 children have been held for anti-war protests since the latest conflict with Ukraine began.
Originally published as Russia’s insane reaction to drawing as schoolgirl is forced into an orphanage