Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it has been very difficult to obtain accurate information on the war in Russia: several independent Russian media outlets have closed down or gone into exile due to the authorities’ censorship of those who it does not respect the government version, and most Western internet sites – including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, as well as the sites of several European and American newspapers – are subject to heavy restrictions. The state media remain, spreading President Vladimir Putin’s propaganda.
In an effort to reach as many Russians as possible with accurate information about what is happening in Ukraine a group of journalists from Finland’s main newspaper Helsingin Sanomat has decided to publish a series of photos, maps, articles covering the war in an unexpected place: the online video game Counter-Strike.
Counter-Strike is one of the ten most popular computer games in the world: according to Helsingin Sanomat data, at least four million people play it in Russia alone, mostly children and young people. It is an online shooter where players are divided into two teams, terrorists and anti-terrorists, who face each other on different maps.
Anyone can create a map using the free tools made available by the game: in addition to the game areas, it is common that those who design the maps decide to add extra details for the players to find, such as hidden messages, graffiti or even secret rooms. So the Finnish newspaper has developed a map depicting an unspecified Slavic city destroyed by the war, called “de_voyna” (“voyna” in Russian means war), and has hidden a secret room inside. Inside, on the walls and on a table, are: an updated map showing how many civilian targets the Russians have hit in Ukraine; a series of photos and information on the Bucha massacre; the story of a man whose entire family was killed by Russian missiles; an estimate of Russian soldiers killed in the war, much higher than that shared by Russian government propaganda.
(Helsingin sanomat newspaper)
“We are very concerned about the situation of press freedom and freedom of speech in Russia, so we decided to try to find new channels to provide the Russian public with reliable and independent news about the situation in Ukraine,” he told Reuters. managing editor of Helsingin Sanomat Antero Mukka. “If some young people in Russia, thanks to the game of a video game, find themselves thinking for a moment about what is happening in Ukraine, it is already worth it”.
