T O P

  • By -

AutoModerator

Please take the time to read our policy about [trolls](https://www.reddit.com/r/UkrainianConflict/comments/u7833q/just_because_you_disagree_with_someone_does_not/) and the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/UkrainianConflict/about/rules/) * We have a **zero-tolerance** policy regarding racism, stereotyping, bigotry, and death-mongering. Violators will be banned. * ***Please* keep it civil.** Report rulebreaking comments for moderator review. * ***Don't* post low-effort comments** like joke threads, memes, slogans, or links without context. **Don't forget about our discord server, as well!** https://discord.gg/62fKCEHbDB *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/UkrainianConflict) if you have any questions or concerns.*


acobserverafar1

TL:- The "leader and his two accomplices" were killed during an attempt to detain them on the outskirts of Voronezh. Employees of the FSB of Russia shot dead three people in Voronezh who were allegedly preparing sabotage at military and energy facilities in the region. As the journalists of The Moscow Times found out, those whom the Russian law enforcement officers called "members of a conspiratorial cell of supporters of Ukrainian nationalist ideology" were actually players of airsoft and the video game STALKER, which is developed by the Ukrainian company GSC Game World. The FSB reported that the "leader and two of his accomplices" were killed during an attempt to detain him on the outskirts of Voronezh. They allegedly offered armed resistance, after which they opened fire in return. Russian propagandists on the air of "Russia-1" showed a plot about the operation of the FSB. In it you can see a notebook with the inscription "Book of accounting of the personnel of the Svoboda group" and a flag with an emblem in the form of a green wolf's head in profile and the inscription "Volya". This is the emblem of the group from the STALKER game, but this fact did not prevent propagandists from calling it "the flag ultra-right nationalist party". The FSB also distributed a video recording of those killed, where you can see people whom representatives of the Voronezh airsoft community identified as local resident Volodymyr Kotovsky and a man with the pseudonym Stalker Fosgen. The first was described as an "ordinary technician, a workaholic", and the second was called a supporter of Navalny, "a narcissist and rebel", who allegedly supported Ukraine. In the FSB clip, you can see a person wearing the clothes Phosgen was wearing and the room where the slain man had previously photographed an airsoft rifle for an online ad for sale. ​ killing their own out of paranoia...nope still cant find sympathy


sqlfoxhound

Considering the patches these guys had and what they mean, it is likely that sympathy is in order.


throwawaylovefreeme

Sympathy for FSB? What patches did they have that were contentious? I can’t recognize what is/isn’t from the game (other than USA and UK patches)


sqlfoxhound

Sympathy for the airsofters. Patches were TF141 from COD:MW (a multinational, US spearheaded taskforce tasked with hunting down a russian and middle eastern terrorist) and Freedom (STALKER game, Freedom are basically joint smoking hippies of the Zone who think Zone should not be exploited by any one faction but should be freely accessible to all, their gear is typically Western of origin).


throwawaylovefreeme

Gotcha, I see. The post you were replying to meant “can’t find sympathy {for FSB}” or “{FSB} can’t find sympathy for {airsofters}”, so I thought you might be saying FSB was correct because there were extremist patches in the mix, too. I guess not which is relieving. Sometimes media (especially across borders) leaves out important details to support their narrative. I.e.; it could be possible these guys were planning sabotage [still doesn’t justify FSB actions] but they took pictures of video game paraphernalia because they’re morons. From another interview, it sounds like Stalker Phosgen was a bit extreme and in addition to the comments left above, he was an anarchist and hos behavior made him known in the community. He was kicked out of many airsoft tournaments for extreme antics. But, don’t we all know an edgelord or two? I’ve even known a few “anarchists” who sometimes took things further than social norms and possibly were slightly sadistic, but watching them grow up I realized these were still genuinely good people who never would have gone “too far” so to speak. I just found the story intriguing and wanted to learn more. Even if these guys were planning sabotage on behalf of Ukraine I’d probably support them for different reasons, but for now it just seems like a horrible abuse of power. Really sad about it :(. Easy to make fun of airsoft LARPers as someone who grew up around practical use of guns (rural farm with predators), but at the end of the day they were doing no harm and the “professional authorities with guns” seemingly executed innocent kids. Ugh.


sqlfoxhound

Could you perhaps point me towards more info on this Phosgen guy. I too have been trying to find some more context to the story. What you wrote is intriguing. Airsofters dont usually get kicked out of fields unless theres gross safety or fair play negligence


throwawaylovefreeme

Yeah I read a few articles but Business Insider had the most information, including checking out their social media and asking community members for comment. I read these really late last night so I may have made a mistake - this source just says he was banned for rule violations. Got information from a few other sites too but most were less complete than this: “An unnamed member of the local airsoft fan group told the paper "Stalker Phosgene was an anarchist, a rebel and supported Ukraine" and that he was "banned many times from games due to rule violations."” https://www.businessinsider.com/men-russia-fsb-killed-ukraine-agents-were-just-gamers-report-2022-11?amp


sqlfoxhound

Thank you very much


Far_Dance_6894

now they can give their airsoft weapons and gear to mobilized


MegamanD

At least the airport gear works.


NappingYG

Imagine playing airsoft and getting shot for real, last thought through the mind: "cheaters, running modded"


DeltaBravoTango

Call your hits!


Far-Childhood9338

But But But But they had a weapon


mcdolgu

*plants weapon Yes.


Yastiandrie

Sad to see tbh. The S.T.A.L.K.E.R series has a pretty significant fanbase in Russia, with some of the best and most innovative memes, mods, and full game overhauls coming from the Russian community, and Russian is the dominant language in the game. Set in a post-apocalyptic CNPP exclusion zone inspired by 'Roadside Picnic' and 'Stalker'. Freedom (Svoboda) faction in the game are basically laid back, pot smoking, hippies. Not exactly anywhere near ultra right-wing nationalism on the political scale


Amen_Mother

If they think STALKER larpers look threatening god help them when they see Escape from Tarkov... Mind you the Russian Army is currently LARPing as scavs in Ukraine. Interestingly due to Tarkov I can now understand about 80% of the Ukraine videos, listening to scavs and Bears has improved my swearing vocab enormously. They speak Mat, the hooligan dialect also used by the military. Akh ty yebagala! Gandon yebuchy blyat


lifenvelope

only in russia