Sometimes I am asked by locals if I am going to visit my homeland for the New Year holidays or in the near future, I have to explain why I do not want to go back. The war has been going on for two years now, everyone who wanted to leave has already left the country and some have even managed to return - everyone decides for themselves what level of insanity is acceptable for their lives. Now I will try to tell you how life and laws have changed in the last couple of years.
Mobilization
Anyone can be drafted into the war or get up to 10 years in prison for refusing. Criminals from prisons can volunteer for war and after 6 months in combat get pardons, money and government awards - murderers, rapists, pedophiles, cannibals and bestiality get combat experience and return to society. Often committing repeat offenses. Meanwhile, ordinary people drafted have no upper limit - some are continuously at war for over a year. Yes, you can hide from mobilization or choose prison over war. Do I want to go to prison for refusing to fight? Do I want to be robbed or killed by a criminal returning from war? Do I basically want to live in such fear?
School.
Schools have introduced a special lesson of "talking about important things" - in fact lessons of blind patriotism, where sometimes participants of the war in Ukraine come to talk about their duty to their homeland. History textbooks were edited in favor of the USSR. Criticism of Stalin's repressions disappeared, freedom of speech was shown as an avalanche of destructive and hostile information, references to Kiev as the capital of the Old Russian state simply disappeared from the textbooks. Children's anti-war words are punished by their parents. The most telling case is a girl at school drew an anti-war picture in class, and her father received a 2-year prison sentence. Yes, you can convince a child that we live in a world where you have to lie to avoid being punished. I have no doubt that hard times raise strong people, but I am not ready for such an experiment on my child. Do I want that kind of education and ideology?
The same drawing that the father is in jail for.
Censorship and Human Rights
The yellow and blue colors can be grounds for police detention, the image of the Ukrainian flag can be grounds for a fine or jail time. Condemning the actions of the state, army or police is also a fine or jail time, the same as for endorsing Ukraine's defense actions. Dissemination of information about LGBT is actually banned and in the law is on a par with sex change and pedophilia. Any media outlet can be shut down without a court decision for false information or disrespect for the state. The prosecutor's office can independently decide what is disrespect and what information is fake. Although this is not such a big problem now, as all radio, TV and internet are controlled by the state. Decisions of the European Council on Human Rights don't mean anything anymore. Anyone can be recognized as a foreigner for no reason, and foreign agents are banned from teaching, organizing public events and holding public office. An ordinary person has in fact no opportunities left to protect his rights, the matter reaches absurdity - a lawyer can be convicted for defending the accused. Do I want to live under the threat of prosecution for disagreeing with something?
Economics
Sanctions, various embargoes and restrictions have pushed up real inflation to about 30% per year. State-owned companies got the right not to publish information about their purchases and tenders. It is officially allowed to import from any country any goods from any manufacturer, even if the manufacturer or the right holder is against it. The economy is slowly going into survival mode with the short-term goal of showing beautiful positive numbers at the next presidential election, but it is absolutely clear to everyone that there is no choice for many years and is not expected. Do I want to be a part of that?
You most likely know how I answer all of these questions above.
Is there any way to change things?
Peacefully, no.
By armed coup only in theory, but in practice no one wants that. Civilians are so badly divided that no revolt is possible, and what is possible will be suppressed by force. The military realize that without such power they will all be court-martialed for what they have done.