Co-founder of Yandex – Russia's Google clone – denounces war on Ukraine Arkady Volozh, co-founder of Russian Google analog Yandex, has denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Volozh declared he is "categorically against Russia's barbaric invasion of Ukraine" and "horrified" by the bombs flying into homes each day. "There were many reasons why I had to remain silent. One can argue about the …
He left Russia, moved a lot out of gear out of Russia, he supports the workers left behind (he tried to get many out).
Remember, if he had spoken out earlier, he or his family may find themselves falling out of a 5th floor window.
If you want a real villain company, can I introduce Unilever?
Arkady Volozh found dead after he acccidentally fell out of a ten story window, landed on a loaded gun that somehow discharged, all while managing to drink a cup of tea that was inexplicably laced with plutonium. TASS reported that: "Patriotic citizens all realise that some people are simply accident prone and that it would be wise to not criticize the war as those types of people tend to be more accident prone than others."
Maybe he didn't want to say anything when the invasion started because he'd burn his bridges with the government over nothing had been over as quickly as most assumed. Why he waited 17 months instead of 2-3 months when it became apparent it was going to be a long slog for both sides, who knows.
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A contact of mine recently visited Moscow. He reports that virtually everyone is anti-war, the difference is with the level of understanding of the reason it started and who started it. The intelligent, educated ones, which tends to mean the young and/or those with access to uncensored news (not under direct government control or sources that dare not step out of line), have to remain cautious but may share their whispered personal opinion with trusted contacts. The less educated just swallow the propaganda and it is utterly pointless to suggest there may be the smallest scintilla of truth in any alternative information.
For those who didn't/couldn't emigrate the choice is between potentially losing everything you've worked for, possible imprisonment and collateral damage to friends, family and work colleagues or getting on with life and keeping your head down. Before criticizing ask yourself what you'd do given that choice.
There remains the possibility to do what you can to disrupt normal functioning of the state. In the case of Volozh that's easier now he's in Israel (and disassociated from Yandex so reducing any risk to former colleagues) and probably having protected at least some of his personal assets from being seized by the state.
He is now in a position where he can help coordinate anti-state activities by other expatriates, especially those with IT expertise and knowledge. If he is doing that he may wish not to announce the fact for obvious reasons.
The bottom line is we just don't know, he may just be out to save his own skin, he may be working for the state under the guise of a turncoat or he may be engaged in disruptive activities against the state.
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