Yep, it’s been widely reported that this was an airsoft gun, and there has been no attempt at hiding that fact.
Also, for all of the bravery on display from Ukrainians, the rampant glorification of warfare (as long as you’re on the right side) we’re seeing through this in Western media is really worrying to me. Resistance is crucial, but one shouldn’t get so carried away as to confusing winning the war with achieving peace. The latter is the goal, not the former, and while many would argue that the former leads to the latter, history shows us that this is very, very rarely the case. We need a concerted resistance to russian aggression, but it’s equally important that the chief goal of this resistance is achieving peace, not kicking anyone’s butt (save, if possible, the people actually responsible, i.e. Putin and his administration). Bravery and sacrifice are admirable, but it’s entirely possible to both think this and remember that violence rarely if ever actually stops violence. And individualized stories of the glories of righteously joining a war, like this, only serve to glorify warfare in and of itself.
Me? The most awe-inspiring thing I’ve seen throughout this horrible shitshow is the mass of unarmed civilians blocking Russian troops from gaining passage to a nuclear power plant. That is bravery.
