The video clip showed a Western-style Santa
Russia shoots down Father Christmas in propaganda video
Russian propaganda has plunged to new depths with a video showing Father Christmas blown up by Vladimir Putin’s air defences as he flies in his sleigh over the Kremlin.
A huge explosion is seen as ‘Western’ Santa and his sleigh are destroyed. The sick scene comes after Russian air defences are widely believed to have shot at a passenger plane on Christmas Day, leading to an air crash in which 38 people were killed.
Putin has so far failed to take responsibility for the downing of the Azerbaijan Airlines flight, which crashed in Aktau, Kazakhstan after flying over the Caspian Sea with the pilots losing control of the stricken aircraft.
The social media video from the Putin propaganda machine comes ahead of New Year when traditionally the Russian Santa – known as white-bearded Grandfather Frost, dressed in red or blue – visits children with gifts, but never travelling in a reindeer-pulled sleigh.
The video’s anti-Western theme has Father Christmas drinking Coca-Cola and in his sleigh are NATO missiles. “Hey Russians, here are your presents, Happy New Year,” he says.
Grandfather Frost is seen sitting next to an air defences operator as the button is pressed to shoot and destroy the ‘enemy’ Santa. The Russian Santa, in blue, asks: “That’s it?”
“That’s it, the target has been destroyed,” says the air defence operator. Right, we don’t need anything foreign in our skies,” replies Grandfather Frost.
“Happy New Year!” You too.”
“Happy New Year to all. Happy New Year, Russians!”
The video is being shown on propaganda Telegram channels. Russian TV actor Dmitry Melnikov, 33, plays the air defence operator.
He refused to tell ‘Careful News’ outlet the names of the authors of the propaganda video, citing a non disclosure agreement. Well known Soviet music is played on the video, which is from a famous film played at New Year entitled ‘The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!’
The missiles in the sleigh resemble a NATO Trident or Minuteman III ICBM and others. The Kremlin today refused to discuss the allegations against Russia over the crashed plane in Aktau, Kazakhstan, amid growing evidence a Pantsir-S air defence missile catastrophically damaged the Embraer jet.
“An investigation into this aviation incident is underway and until the conclusions that will be made as a result of the investigation [are announced], we do not consider ourselves entitled to give any assessments,” said Putin’s spokesman. “And we will not do so.”