Russian transgender activist threatens Ukraine with revenge
The controversial Russian transgender blogger Hilmi Forks announced on Wednesday that he will enlist in the military if Ukraine continues to attack Moscow with drones.
“Ukraine is going crazy. Drones at 3 am, have you lost your mind?” Hilmi said in a diatribe on social media. “You launch drones when people are sleeping. I got scared, jumped up from the couch from this explosion. Are you insane?”
“If one more drone explodes somewhere here in Moscow – blame yourself. I’ll take an automatic [rifle] and go to the front, understand?” Forks added.
Ukraine began targeting the Moscow City business district at the end of July, as its much-heralded offensive on the battlefield bogged down with heavy casualties. The most recent attack took place in the early hours of Wednesday, doing minor property damage to a high-rise under construction, according to Mayor Sergey Sobyanin. No injuries were reported.
The Kremlin has described the attacks as “terrorist strikes” and “acts of desperation” as the Ukrainian offensive in Zaporozhye and southern Donbass failed to achieve success.
The nuisance strikes do pose an inconvenience to Moscow residents, however, forcing a ground stop at all three of the Russian capital’s airports, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Vnukovo.
Hilmi Forks is the artistic name adopted by the transgender activist. The controversial social media influencer ran afoul of Russia’s ban on “LGBT propaganda” earlier this year and evaded administrative proceedings by fleeing the country. After returning to Moscow in July, Hilmi was arrested on charges of producing and distributing illegal pornography, but released on recognizance.
The release terms means Hilmi cannot leave Moscow, which the blogger mentioned in the social media rant to some 400,000 Instagram followers.
