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Gen Z slammed for posting funny MEMES and making light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Putin has ordered his forces into separatist regions of Donbas in eastern Ukraine and sparked fears of a full-scale invasion of the country

While Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to recognize the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine is expected to ratchet up tensions with the West and fuel fears of an all-out war, disillusioned netizens have flooded social media with memes about a potential invasion and its ramifications across the globe.

Putin has ordered his forces into separatist regions of Donbas in eastern Ukraine and sparked fears of a full-scale invasion of the country. The Russian strongman instructed his defense ministry in two official decrees to assume the "function of peacekeeping" in the separatist region, claiming that independence for those areas also extends to the territory currently being held by the Ukrainian military.

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The majority of the Gen Z population is not familiar with the anxiety that comes with a potential wartime situation, and have resorted to inundating the internet with memes and pop culture references to express their worries of a full-blown war.

Meanwhile, there were several memes about being drafted into the military.

Putin announced the military operation on Thursday, February 24, with explosions heard across the country soon after. Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations told the Security Council that the Russian President has “declared war on Ukraine." Soon after the announcement, explosions were heard in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, as well as across other cities. There were reportedly air raid sirens in the center of Kyiv. Although the severity of Thursday's attacks was not immediately clear, Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the worst-case scenario has unfolded. "Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes," Kuleba tweeted. "This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now."

President Joe Biden, in a series of tweets, condemned Russia's move. "The prayers of the world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces. President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering," he tweeted. "Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable," he wrote in another tweet. 

Putin's move came after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to Russians not to support a "major war in Europe". He also said that people of Russia were being lied to about Ukraine, adding that when he tried to contact Putin, there was "no answer, only silence". He confirmed on Wednesday, February 23, that Moscow had around 200,000 soldiers near Ukraine's borders.
 
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, said that a Russian invasion will have the power to displace as many as five million people, which could lead to a new European refugee crisis. Ukraine urged all its citizens living in Russia to leave before Putin's announcement came. "We are united in believing that the future of European security is being decided right now, here in our home, in Ukraine," President Zelensky said during a joint media appearance with the visiting leaders of Poland and Lithuania. While Ukraine has around 2,00,000 military personnel, Moscow's total forces are much larger.