The colours of Ukraine must not fade. The war in Ukraine set up by Russia’s dictator Vladimir Putin is UNACCEPTABLE whatever the reason, the agreements, the political and economical conflicts, the history and the geographical assets. In a World where civilized countries and people constantly have aimed for the cancellation of any war, it is shocking, horrifying and unspeakable to witness what is happening in these recent days.
As international media Apneapassion has always fought for the correct professional journalistic role of the magazine. This does not only mean the need to be truthful and independent in all that we publish and communicate regarding spearfishing and freediving. It also implies that we have the responsibility to become an international voice to harshly condemn, without ifs and buts, the war in Ukraine.
We have good friends in Ukraine, who share our passion for the sea, and my thought goes to the entire Ukrainian National team, and in particular to Svetlana Mayorova, whose passion for spearfishing and her always smiling face have delighted all of us many times on the social pages.
My heart was broken when some days ago many international news media were showing the smiling face of the little Polina, in her last year of elementary school, killed by Russian bullets.
I have so decided that from now on, until the end of the war, which we hope will be soon, Apneapassion magazine will show the colours of Ukraine. The web pages of the magazine, the logos, including the ones on the social media channels, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube, will show the blu and yellow colours of this friendly Nation. In addition, no promotion of any Russian activity or event will be published in Apneapassion magazine. This has recently applied to the Moscow Dive Show for which we had ready interesting interviews that will not be published until the war is over, hopefully soon.
But my biggest hope is that all the spearfisherwomen and men, the freedivers, but in general all the sea lovers, will unite in a strong voice against the war Ukraine, sharing the colours of Ukraine, a voice that will be thousands of times stronger than the one that Apneapassion can express.
Carlo Forni
Founder and Editor in Chief