Russian President Vladimir Putin Calls for ‘Self-Purification’ of ‘Traitors’ Inside Russia

By  //  March 17, 2022

ABOVE VIDEO: Fox News’ Jonathan Hunt reports on the rescue efforts after a Mariupol theater used as shelter for civilians was bombed and destroyed.

(FOX NEWS) – The assault on Mariupol has revealed the full extent of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s determination to take Ukraine as he claims that his country will undergo a natural and necessary “self-purification” of “traitors.”

“The Russian people will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and simply spit them out like a fly that accidentally flew into their mouths,” Putin said Wednesday. “I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, cohesion and readiness to respond to any challenges.”

Putin compared the West to Nazi Germany and accused Russians who opposed the war of having a “slave-like” mentality, The New York Times reported. He labeled the conflict “a struggle for our sovereignty, for the future of our country and our children.”

But a fresh crackdown on anti-war sentiment – including a criminal case against a popular lifestyle blogger – pales in comparison to the horrors in Mariupol where the Russian military has appeared to overcome any hesitation about pulling its punches.

Russia on Thursday bombed a theater in which thousands had taken refuge, even though satellite footage shows that the word for “children” in Russian was written on the ground near the theater, according to Ukrainian officials in the city. Ukraine’s foreign affairs minister Dmytro Kuleba called the attack “another horrendous war crime in Mariupol.”

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