Finnish media spreads truth about Russian war crimes in Counter-Strike secret room
The Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat created a secret room in the Counter-Strike game to spread the truth about Russian war crimes among users.
What is the problem?
After Russia launched its full-scale war, Russia banned its citizens from accessing online media and naming its invasion "the war" and blocked Western and Ukrainian media. The Russian propaganda machine feeds Russians distorted information, misinformation, and fakes about Ukraine. Many Russians don't know what is happening in Ukraine or are indifferent to Russian criminal actions toward Ukrainians.
"The Russian state-controlled media are not telling the truth… Countless Russians are unaware of what is happening in Ukraine. In this room, they are forced to see the truth with their own eyes," says Helsingin Sanomat.
What is the solution?
Counter-Strike is one of the most popular video games in the world. According to Helsingin Sanomat, the game is viral in Russia, especially in St. Petersburg and Moscow. It is played by approximately four million Russians, primarily young men.
"This sparked a crazy idea: Could we create a place in Counter-Strike, where the millions of young Russian men playing this first-person shooter game would be forced to face the terrors of the war in Ukraine?" Helsingin Sanomat explains.
The Finnish media created a secret room where users will be told accurate information about Russia's war against Ukraine. The project aims to bypass censorship and convey information about Russian war crimes to Russians.
How does it work?
Users are told about Russian strikes on civilian objects in Ukraine and mass murders in the Kyiv region during the Russian occupation.
The room is a typical neighborhood in a post-Soviet city. In a secret room in one of the basements under eternal artillery fire, reports in Russian made by war correspondents of the Ukrainian publications are posted on the walls. There is also a map of Russian attacks on civilian objects in Ukraine and photos of the consequences of the occupation of the Kyiv region.
The "secret room of truth" can only be entered after the player's death, when they cannot participate in the round but can watch what is happening on the map.
