"To Berlin!" Slogan On Russian Bombs Sparks Concerns In Germany
Photos from a Russian military exercise featuring bombs with the slogans prompt backlash from both sides
By Vladi Vovcuk and Leigh Cuen on Aug 12, 2015 at 12:16 PM
Pictures from a recent Russian naval aviation military exercise featuring the slogan “To Berlin!” and “For Stalin” identified by the German news outlet Bild on Tuesday, have sparked alarm in Germany and stirred social media reaction on both sides.
According to Bild the photos from the Russian navy portal “Flot” were taken at a military exercise conducted some 300 miles from Berlin. The German news outlet said the Russian slogans were either a hoax by Putin’s “Luftwaffe” or a bitter snapshot of Russian sentiment.
Germans on social media criticized the images, calling them a prelude to a renewed Cold War.
Translation: “To Berlin! Written on Putin’s bombs. The Cold War is back. This is how Russian pilots paint their bombs.”
The Russian reaction was more mixed. While some declared it a bad joke, others praised the controversial slogans.
Translation: “Aggressive Russian Air Force soldiers wrote “To Berlin” on exercise bombs as a joke, while German (volunteers) in Ukraine write messages on rockets before launching them on populated areas.”
Translation: “This is Putin’s main success.”
Relations between Russia and Germany soured in 2014 after Russia seized the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine, and Germany became a key player in imposing tough economic sanctions against Moscow.
http://www.vocativ.com/news/220891/to-berlin-slogan-on-russian-bombs-sparks-concerns-in-germany/
