Ukraine: Russian Invasion & War
ON3EBR & ON4CAS viewpoint
In August 2019, we embarked on a city trip to Kyiv, where we explored the city’s many remarkable sights and enjoyed a truly memorable experience.
While standing at Maidan Square, we took a moment to reflect on the hardships the Ukrainian capital endured just a few years prior, during the time when its people firmly turned their hopes and aspirations toward the West.
Back in 2014, in a blatant violation of international law, Russia invaded and annexed Crimea—an act that left lasting scars on the nation.
Yet, despite this painful history, we found Kyiv to be a vibrant, welcoming city. Its openness and the warm hospitality we received left a lasting impression on us.
With shock and dismay, the world witnessed yet another unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. From the very beginning, Putin’s forces committed horrific war crimes against the Ukrainian people. The atrocities in Bucha stand as a haunting reminder of these crimes and must never be forgotten by any civilized human being.
As a result of the crimes committed in Ukraine the regime in Moscow must be unequivocally condemned and isolated by the international community. The strongest possible sanctions should be imposed, and those responsible must ultimately face justice before a war crimes tribunal.
Tragically, the war has also claimed the lives of several fellow HAM radio operators in Ukraine—lives lost to senseless Russian aggression.
Russian radio amateurs, of all people, should not be in the dark. Through their passion for shortwave communication, they have access to a breadth of information beyond the reach of the ordinary citizen in some remote Russian oblast. Why, tell us why, most Russian amateur radio operators remain unwilling to see through the falsehoods and propaganda fed to them by Putin’s criminal regime?
An old agadium states that politics and HAM radio should remain strictly separate. The IARU continues to defend this position today.
We agree but there’s also a deeper moral dimension that must be acknowledged.
Disturbingly, it appears that a significant part of the Russian radio amateurs and their clubs openly endorse the crimes committed by their government. A quick web search reveals numerous examples that suggest more than just passive complicity.
Examine the shown screenshot closely. Do you see the logo of the Russian IARU member association prominently displayed at the top of the page? Are we, as foreign radio amateurs, supposed to just sit back and watch this shameless glorification of Russian cruelty and barbarism?
The website of the SRR the Russian association of radio amateurs, still affiliated with the IARU, shows that the so-called “DNR People’s Republics,” which are illegal under international law, are simply considered Russian territory (Территории, не входящие в федеральные округа) and even have their own departments. Not convinced? Look here.
The SRR, which represents Russian radio amateurs in the international arena, clearly follows a political line that welcomes the illegal annexations.
This raises serious questions. Is the IARU truly committed to keeping amateur radio free from political influence? Or does that principle conveniently fade when it comes to their member organization in the Russian Federation?
Furthermore, the well-known Russian Districts Award (RDA) program continues to list the illegally annexed territories of Crimea as part of the Russian Federation. This is not just a political statement; it is an endorsement of internationally condemned aggression. So I ask: how can any peace-loving amateur radio operator in good conscience continue to pursue such awards?
A few other links, and only a few of many others, that show Russian radio clubs are by no means keeping themselves neutral:
ON4CAS и ON3EBR приняли решение не регистрировать российские станции до дальнейшего уведомления.
Are Else and Egbert Russia-haters? Absolutely not. There used to be a time when we eagerly looked forward to our trips there, and we thoroughly enjoyed the splendour of cities like Saint Petersburg. ON4CAS was an avid collector of awards from across the vast Russian territory and even attended evening classes in the Russian language.
But…the situation described above has deeply disturbed us.
Therefore ON4CAS & ON3EBR have decided not to log any Russian stations until further notice. This also includes participation in any contests where working Russian stations is necessary to achieve a competitive score. It’s a personal sacrifice we’re willing to make in the name of our conscience and moral integrity.
Naturally, ON4CAS also terminated his membership in Russian radio clubs, such as the Russian Robinson Club and others, as a matter of principle.
We fully support those IARU member societies and contest sponsors who, under the current circumstances, have taken the decision to exclude Russian and Belarusian participants from their competitive events such as contests.
Please note that this opinion reflects our own sentiments and does not necessarily correspond with the official position of the amateur radio associations we belong to. Every amateur radio operator worldwide must decide for themselves whether, in the current circumstances and given the arguments outlined above, it is still appropriate to communicate with Russian amateur radio operators.
We don’t.
Recommended reading on the Russian horror based on a Ukrainian radio amateur's testimony
Available from the RSGB store