Russian mountaineer and blogger Katya Lipka is being hailed on social media for protesting President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine. Her way of expressing anger over Russia-Ukraine's ongoing conflict was what caught the attention of the netizens. Lipka scaled the mighty Mount Everest and unfurled the flag of Ukraine at the peak as her way of protest.
Lipka shared images on Instagram
On June 3, Lipka shared photos of her raising the Ukrainian flag on Mount Everest. The images went viral on social media quickly. Lipka wrote on Instagram that she was pondering her desire for "the war to end" and for Russia to stop "killing people" in Ukraine as she gripped the flag with fingers numb from the cold. She said that her accomplishment was "not easy," noting that she reached the summit "on a lame leg" and "without preparation and without acclimatization," something that she would not advise others to attempt, as per Newsweek.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Austria promotes Lipka's feat
An image of Lipka was shared by Olexander Scherba, former Ukrainian Ambassador to Austria, on Twitter. He wrote that she had "conquered Mount Everest" and unfurled the flag in protest of "Putin's war."
Lipka had another agenda as she scaled Everest
Apart from showing sympathy for Ukraine, Lipka also raised the "Free Navalny" sign in another post in support of Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny, who is currently imprisoned by the Vladimir Putin government.
Netizens hail Lipka on this feat
Internet users were all hearts for Lipka as she scaled Everest. One of the internet users wrote, "This is something! I'm going to follow her right now (sic)." and another one said, "This is something! I'm going to follow her right now (sic)."