A video containing homophobic and racist content and anti-American propaganda was broadcasted in Russia, leaving people baffled about its content. The piece shows a Russian middle-aged couple and their son on a flight to the US.

As reported by the Scottish Daily Express, the video aired on TV in Russia and circulated on social media. Some Twitter users suggested that it was an attempt from the Russian government to dissuade people who planned to emigrate from Russia, though it is unclear whether the Federation had anything to do with it. Others suggested that it was simply a parodic video.

In the clip in question, two people are shown while on a plane to leave Russia and go live in the US instead. Speaking about leaving Russia, the woman says, “It’s a real shame though, it’s our homeland”. After that comment, the couple meets a woman who tells them that America is the freest country in the world, before introducing them to her wife. At this point, the Russian couple appears horrified at the revelation that the woman’s partner is not a man.

The video continues with a couple of scenes filled with racist stereotypes and anti-American propaganda, ending on a frame showing the couple jumping out of the plane wearing parachutes, having apparently regretted their decision to leave Russia.

So, a new anti-migration social ad is being currently aired in Russia and it attempts to persuade Russian citizens to stay in Russia by showing them the horrors of life in the USA. Namely, same-sex marriages, vegetarian food aaand… having to use the same toilets as black people? https://t.co/JONR0qM4pU

— Oleksandra Povoroznyk 🇺🇦 (@rynkrynk) October 6, 2022

Indeed, since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, Russia experienced a massive outflow of people, which seems to have accelerated even more after Putin declared a “partial mobilisation” on September 21, after repeated defeats on the battlefield. The current situation in Ukraine is getting worse, especially after an attack was carried out on the bridge that connects Russia to the Crimean Peninsula.

Putin called the attack an “act of terrorism”, blaming it on Ukraine even though it is unclear whether it was orchestrated by Ukrainian forces, and retaliated with the most widespread strikes against Ukraine in months. The attacks shattered important buildings in several cities, knocked out power and water, and killed at least 14 people.