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A former editor-in-chief of a Moscow newspaper, who now lives in the UK, has said his country’s attack on Ukraine is “upsetting and tragic”.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Boris Konoshenko left Russia eight years ago because of growing government restrictions, particularly against the media.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n He now runs a luxury holiday home in Norfolk and still has family in Russia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “It’s very difficult, morally and emotionally, it’s a terrible situation for me,” he told BBC Radio Norfolk. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n “It’s a very tragic, upsetting time – you feel you have done wrong, what could I do better to prevent this when I lived in Russia?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “I feel very worried; worried about my country, about Europe and England.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In 2014, he quit as editor-in-chief and managing director of Metro Moscow which is distributed free on the capital’s Metro system, and bought Swafield Hall, near North Walsham.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n He had wanted a clean break from the increasing government controls on Russian media – which he believes had begun to draw him in.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n He said it was now crucial that the true nature of the Ukraine conflict gets through to the population rather than let people be swayed by propaganda.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n On Thursday, Mr Konoshenko said, all Russian media received an order banning publication of any material coming out of Ukraine, other than official reports.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “This means you can’t send journalists, you can’t verify fact, you can only print propaganda,” he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “They [Russian people] are brainwashed by state-financed media and it’s very easy to exploit a nationalist, patriotic theme, which leads you to nationalistic feeling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “We had it in Crimea [invaded and annexed by Russian in 2014], when [President Vladimir] Putin got away with it, and a lot of people actually started to support it, and the same could happen now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “When I was working there I saw it, I saw how I slowly, day by day, became more and more part of it.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The majority of people in Russia, he believes, do not support the war, and the Russian people should not be equated with the State.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n His daughter and grandson attempted to protest against the war in Moscow on Thursday, he said, with some of her friends arrested for doing so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “[When people ask] why are Russians are not all on the street, it’s because it’s really hard, there is no freedom of demonstration, no freedom of media at all. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n “If you start to say something like “no to war”, you are immediately arrested.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “You can stay in prison for years; it’s a really serious matter.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “We should not alienate Russian people – because not all of them support this aggression.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “I can’t say that Russian people are not responsible for their country – it’s their country and their State. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n “I am here, and I am responsible, even though I am a UK citizen.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Find BBC News: East of England on <\/i>Facebook, <\/i>Instagram and <\/i>Twitter<\/a>. If you have a story suggestion email <\/i>eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk<\/p>\n<\/div>\n