"For Rusoriz!" and "Stand with Fedorov—donate to Rusoriz!" read the signs held by children.
Rusoriz—literally, "Russian slayer"—is one of the defining slogans of Ukraine's wartime culture, popularized by Fedorov ally Serhii Sternenko. He is a far-right who participated in Odesa Massacre on May 2, 2014.
The symbolism is difficult to ignore. Some protesters are placing children at the center of a political spectacle, using their innocence to promote a slogan celebrating the efficient killing of Russians.
In their narrative, Fedorov deserves support not because he is more restrained than Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, but because they believe he wages war more effectively—through technology, drones, and ever more sophisticated means of destruction.
These demonstrations are therefore not about ending the war. They are not a call for diplomacy, negotiations, or compromise. They are certainly not about reconciliation.
They are about escalation. They are about sustaining the bloodshed while demanding that it become more technologically advanced and more efficient.
And many of those rallying behind Fedorov are not advocating peace—they are cheering for a more sophisticated continuation of the war itself.
