Dee Snider has said he approves of Ukrainians using Twisted Sister‘s ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ as their rallying cry as they fight off the Russian invasion.

On Thursday (February 24), Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on Ukraine, its neighbour to the southwest, marking a dramatic escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that began in 2014.

The invasion has resulted in nearly 200 deaths so far, including civilians, three of whom were children, according to Ukraine’s health minister.

It’s been reported that Twisted Sister’s 1984 song ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ – taken from the heavy metal band’s third studio ‘Stay Hungry’ – is being used as a battle cry for the Ukrainians.

Yesterday (February 26), frontman Snider took to Twitter to support its use by the Ukrainians.

“I absolutely approve of Ukrainians using ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ as their battlecry,” he tweeted. “My grandfather was Ukrainian, before it was swallowed up by the USSR after WW2. This can’t happen to these people again! #FUCKRUSSIA.”

I absolutely approve of Ukrainians using "We're Not Gonna Take It" as their battlecry. My grandfather was Ukrainian, before it was swallowed up by the USSR after WW2. This can't happen to these people again! #FUCKRUSSIA

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) February 26, 2022

‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ was written solely by Snider. He previously cited Slade, Sex Pistols, and the Christmas carol ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ as influences for the song.

Today (February 27), Snider followed up his tweet with another after he was asked why he approves of Ukrainians using the song but not those protesting COVID-19 mandates.

“People are asking me why I endorsed the use of ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ for the Ukrainian people and did not for the anti-maskers,” he wrote. “Well, one use is for a righteous battle against oppression; the other is a infantile feet stomping against an inconvenience.”

People are asking me why I endorsed the use of "We're Not Gonna Take It" for the Ukrainian people and did not for the anti-maskers. Well, one use is for a righteous battle against oppression; the other is a infantile feet stomping against an inconvenience.

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) February 27, 2022

The actions of Putin, who has claimed that Russia does not intend to occupy Ukraine and that his country’s actions amount to a “special military operation”, have drawn widespread condemnation from across the globe.

Reactions to the situation in Ukraine from prominent figures in the worlds of music, entertainment and politics have been posted on social media, with the likes of Foals’ Yannis Philippakis, Bring Me The Horizon‘s Oli Sykes, Franz Ferdinand‘s Alex Kapranos, Yungblud, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Taika Waititi and Amanda Palmer all speaking out in support of Ukraine.

Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks has penned an emotive post about the ongoing conflict saying “my heart is broken”, while Madonna voiced her support for Ukraine with a fanmade video set to a remix of her 2005 song ‘Sorry’.

Elton John has also expressed that he’s “heartbroken” over the “nightmare” the people of Ukraine are currently living through.

Meanwhile, Russian rapper Oxxxymiron has cancelled a series of shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine, which has a population of 44million people, borders both Russia and the European Union. As the BBC reports, Russia has long resisted Ukraine’s move towards embracing European institutions like NATO and the EU.

Putin is now demanding guarantees from the West and Ukraine that it will not join NATO, a defensive alliance of 30 countries, and that Ukraine demilitarise and become a neutral state.

You can donate here to the Red Cross to help those affected by the conflict.