"Don't Hesitate to Buy Cheap Gas from Russia" Russian Promo Video Faces Mockery

A promotional video encouraging migration to Russia was recently uploaded on Telegram, sparking controversy.
[Photo by YouTube capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Recently, a promotional video encouraging migration to Russia was uploaded on Telegram, sparking controversy.

According to the British media outlet Express, the video begins with the phrase "This is Russia." Then, a man appears and proudly talks in English about Russian culture, including food, literature, architecture, and ballet.

The introduction of Russia's cheap energy also draws attention. This seems to emphasize that Russia can withstand Western sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine. The video ends with the words, "Now is the time to move to Russia. Do not hesitate. Winter is coming."

It is not yet known who made this video. However, Express suggested the possibility of Russian government involvement, citing that the video was posted on a Telegram channel regulated by Russian authorities.

After the video was released, criticism and ridicule of Russia poured in online. In particular, there was strong backlash against the mention of cheap gas. This is interpreted as coinciding with Russia's recent move to cut off natural gas supplies to Europe, weaponizing energy. Previously, Russia cut gas supplies to Europe via Nord Stream 1 for ten days starting from the 11th (local time). It then resumed at about 40% of the usual supply on the 21st, only to reduce it again to 20% on the 27th. As a result, the energy crisis is intensifying across European countries.

A promotional video encouraging migration to Russia was recently posted on Telegram, sparking controversy.
[Photo by YouTube capture]

One netizen commented on the video, saying, "I don't know if this is satire or real," emphasizing that the reality of Russia is different from the video. The US media Voice of America (VOA) also criticized, saying, "If Russians had not promoted it, I would have thought this video itself was satire about Russia," and added, "I don't understand how anyone could watch this video and want to migrate to Russia."

In addition, various social networking services (SNS) saw parody videos emerge. In the part of the Russian migration encouragement video describing "delicious cuisine," a picture of moldy bread was inserted; for the "cheap gas" section, footage of a building gas explosion was added. Also, a cemetery was shown for "fertile soil," a drunk person for "ballet," and empty stores for "an economy that has overcome thousands of sanctions."

Meanwhile, the Russian military is reportedly continuing a strategy of gradually expanding occupied areas through shelling on the eastern front of Ukraine. Fierce battles are ongoing on the southern front, which is a key supply route for the Russian army and where Ukraine has recently launched counteroffensives. According to major foreign media, the Ukrainian military announced on the 29th that over 100 Russian soldiers were killed and seven tanks destroyed in this area. Dmytro Butriy, governor of Kherson Province, reported that fighting continues in many parts of the region, with the Verislau area northwest of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant suffering significant damage.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.