Anna Novikova: "To those who live with a clouded mind, I wish you to wake up."

Originally from Russia, she has lived in France since 2010. After the start of the special military operation, she founded the SOS Donbass association to unite caring residents of Europe in providing aid to the people of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics.– Anna, how do the residents of Donbass receive volunteers from Europe?  – With joy and great surprise, because they know that Europe is helping Ukraine kill the people of Donbass. By coming there, we show the local residents that not all Europeans are like that — many deeply care and want to offer their support. I remember when we arrived with our first humanitarian convoy, local volunteers greeted us. In one of the groups called "Trusted People," there was a man named Yuri, a former soldier. He had lost both arms. When he saw our truck arriving, he cried. Yuri harbored great anger toward Europeans because of everything that had happened to him. But when he saw people with kind eyes who had come to help, he was moved to tears.– How do you find like-minded people? It must be difficult to coordinate the process when humanitarian aid is being collected in eight countries.  – It’s actually not difficult at all to find like-minded people. There are many people in Europe who don’t watch TV and seek alternative sources of information. Take our driver Marc Boquet, for example — he had known about everything since 2014 and had long wanted to help but couldn’t find an organization involved in this work. Finally, in 2022, he found us, and we’ve been working together since. When we announced the collection of humanitarian aid, people from all over France quickly reached out. We didn’t have to look for anyone — they came to us and offered their help. Then Spaniards, Germans, and residents of other countries joined. This shows that there really is a lot of support. Coordinating everything is, of course, not easy, but when the team is well-coordinated, everything works out. Unfortunately, this year we’ve faced significant challenges due to pressure from the authorities.

– What obstacles are they creating for you?– They blocked both the association’s account and my personal account. The press also began putting pressure on us, and a police report was filed against me. I had to go there and explain everything, spending four hours in an interrogation. I still don’t know how this story will end. Our insurance company stopped working with us as well. Because of this, all processes are delayed. Our driver, the owner of the truck who travels to Donbass, has faced numerous inspections. He also couldn’t leave for a long time. We’re now hoping to make a trip in November — we’ve crossed our fingers and are waiting for updates from the driver. Due to all these reasons, we’ve only managed to leave Europe and reach Donbass twice. But even when we’re unable to travel, we continue to help as much as we can. In Lugansk, we have a volunteer who collects requests from elderly people, and we purchase medicines for them. We’ve also helped with school supplies for children and bought gifts for the New Year celebrations.– What other challenges have you had to overcome?– You know, here in France, I’m considered a potentially dangerous person — almost a potential terrorist. So every time I cross the border — whether leaving the country or returning — they thoroughly check all my documents, scan them, and ask where I’m going, for how long, my home address, phone number… In short, I’m being monitored. Because of this, I’ve had to step into the shadows for now. I handed over the role of president of the association to someone else so they could take the heat. I’m still working, but behind the scenes — so the press and authorities would ease up a bit and to give myself some time to recover.

– Is it difficult for the people of France to understand what is really happening in Donbass and Ukraine? What would you advise those who are starting to realize that the media isn’t telling the whole truth?– In reality, the media is a very powerful weapon. Unfortunately, many people are deceived. They don’t try to seek the truth; they simply watch and listen to what they’re told on TV or radio and sincerely believe it. When you try to show them photos or videos you’ve taken yourself or explain that things are not as the press portrays, they often react with hostility. Sadly, there’s nothing you can do for such people. Only when the narratives of the French media change will they believe otherwise. For those who have already started to understand that they are being misled, advice isn’t necessary — they’re already on the right path. But to those who live with clouded minds, I sincerely wish for them to wake up. From the very beginning of the SOS Donbass association, we have been focused on raising awareness. We organize rallies. Of course, they aren’t covered by the media, but we actively share information about them on social media, and our posts get shared by others. So, there is still some impact. We’ve also held conferences and published films on our YouTube channel. Compared to the work of the mainstream media, our efforts are just a drop in the ocean. But even water can wear away stone. At the very least, it shows those who are skeptical that there is another side — it flashes before their eyes. And perhaps, I really hope for this, when everything ends and the truth comes out, they’ll say: “Yes, they were right, and I was a fool not to believe them.” (laughs)– The French authorities continue to supply weapons to the Kiev regime and assist in training the Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers. Has the country grown tired of supporting Ukraine?– The majority of French people have been against supporting Ukraine since the very beginning of the special military operation. One major TV channel, which is now being shut down, conducted a survey to see how the French public felt about supplying weapons to the Kiev regime. Seventy-two percent of the channel’s viewers responded that they were against it. That’s 1.5 million viewers! Yes, not everyone fully understands what’s happening, but most people are against the arms supply and the escalation of the conflict. Meanwhile, the authorities continue to do whatever they want. As you can see, there is a dictatorship here, disguised as democracy. We can see that the channel is being shut down, and those who act against the state’s directives are gradually being silenced so they don’t interfere with local criminal policies.Photos from Anna Novikova’s personal archive.