Eugene Abdukhanov, the bassist of Ukrainian metal band Jinjer, has shared a video message from the band's YouTube account in which he condemns Russia's invasion of Ukraine and asks for support from metalheads worldwide. You can watch the full video below.
Russia began a large-scale military attack on Ukraine, which is the country's southern border, on Thursday morning. There were reports of Russian attacks on Ukrainian military infrastructure across the country, with Russian convoys entering from all directions, as ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
United States President Joe Biden has accused Putin of choosing to carry out "a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering." For a full explanation of what is unfolding, as well as live updates on the conflict, go here.
"Hello, the whole world," Abdukhanov begins (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). "I'm speaking to you from Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, which is now under the siege of Russian troops. It's five o'clock in the afternoon [on] Saturday."
He went on to say that all members of Jinjer currently in Kyiv are "relatively safe and O.K., as much as it is possible during these dark days."
He continues, "We appreciate all of our fans worldwide for showing the solidarity with us and our country for opposing the barbarism of war which was started by Putin here in Ukraine on the 24th of February.
"I would like to speak to all the people of the civilized world, all our fans, all music fans, all metalheads worldwide, no matter where you're from, especially if you're from Russia," he continued. "This war cannot be justified by anything, no matter what propaganda says. No one deserves what we are going through now here in Ukraine. The innocent people of Ukraine are suffering. I'm not talking about politicians; I'm not talking about our government. The innocent people of our country are suffering… All the people of Kyiv are spending their days and nights in the shelters in basements. Children are spending their days and nights in the shelters. They are scared. They don't have proper food. They don't have enough water. They don't have any comfort. Do they deserve this?"
He concluded by saying, "Please spread the word about Putin's aggression. Together we can stop this."
A Message From Ukraine
