Woke NPR bosses ridiculed for telling Americans how to 'cope' with stress of Ukraine war

Bosses at the achingly-woke NPR network were condemned over a mollycoddling write-up aimed at helping Americans left ‘stressed’ by the unfolding Ukraine crisis.

The story, published Friday, was titled: ‘5 ways to cope with the stressful news cycle,’ and was blasted as patronizing and tone-deaf, given the bloodshed and heartache being faced by Ukrainians at the mercy of Vladimir Putin’s forces.

NPR’s guidance on clearing the mind of war-related stress involved urging people to ‘breathe,’ ‘get moving,’ ‘nourish yourself,’ ‘stay connected,’ or ‘sign off’ from social media and the news if they find it too upsetting.

But the network – which many longstanding listeners say has become obsessed with race, gender-identity and ‘equity’ in recent years – was attacked online over the tone and timing of the piece.

‘Ukrainians are fighting for their lives, taking up arms, and building homemade Molotov cocktails to fight Russians who are invading their homes and your first thought is, “How can we comfort Americans who are watching the news from their couch 5,000 miles away,”‘ one Twitter user responded.

NPR was slated over this story sharing tips on how to keep calm as Russia invades Ukraine

‘People literally dying this is the stupidest and weakest sh*t I’ve ever read. Instead of perpetuating being victim, how bout practicing being grateful for not being a victim, and with that strength, do something about it,’ another person tweeted in response. 

‘Please stop,’ author Christina Sommers wrote to the outlet.  

‘The stupidest thing NPR has ever proposed, and that’s saying a lot’ tweeted Politico columnist Jack Shafer.

And journalist Nellie Bowles wrote: ‘At this point a group of aggressive Shetland ponies could take our country by force and they’d deserve it.’

Ukraine’s armed forces were engaged in a fierce battle for Kyiv on Friday night, with footage on social media showing explosions close to a metro station in the center of the capital; a battle ongoing for control of a thermal power plant to the north; and multiple reports suggesting fierce fighting 20 miles south near a vital airbase.    

Photos posted to social media showed what they said were explosions in Kyiv on Friday night

Residents of Kyiv take cover in a bomb shelter in the early hours of Saturday

‘Watching the STRENGTH and COURAGE of Ukrainians in the face of a brutal Russia invasion, has given me perspective on my struggles,’ user Violet James tweeted at NPR.

‘The superficiality and pettiness of America’s current “social justice” movement is hard to deny today. May God keep Ukraine free.’ 

Meanwhile in Kyiv, footage shared on social media showed a bombardment close to Beresteiska metro station, in the west of the city.

Terrified residents posted videos filmed from their apartments, with flashes of light and the sound of gunfire.

The northern suburb of Troieshchyna was also coming under sustained attack for another night, as Russia tried to wrest control of the thermal power plant on the banks of the Dnieper river. Unconfirmed reports suggested dozens of Russians had been arrested.

Ukraine’s government said on Friday night that they had shot down two Russian military transport planes carrying paratroopers on the outskirts of Kyiv.

The first IL-76 came down near Vasylkiv, 20 miles south of Kyiv, the Ukrainian military said.