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The Russian women are angry. The ever-lengthening war in Ukraine and the harsh combat missions of Russian soldiers are upsetting the women at home. The government’s official argument – that soldiers are needed indefinitely for victory – no longer appears to work. Reports in the Russian media show that they want to defend themselves against the mechanisms with a new movement.
A recently published video from the Siberian city of Novosibirsk shows part of a small rally. One woman says, “Our troops may have become the best army in the world, but that doesn’t mean this army has to stay there until the last man.” The attitude: Soldiers who have served more than a year deserve to come home. When a soldier has shed blood for his homeland, it is time for the soldier to return to his family.
Hot dance of the women
Openly expressed dissatisfaction is rare in Russia. Voices that speak out against the “special military operation in Ukraine” fall silent relatively quickly. The reason: Public criticism of government decisions is sometimes punishable.
For the anti-mobilization movement, it is a delicate undertaking to get its message across while not breaking the prevailing laws. Women and family members mainly use chat groups to form groups and make statements. There are real appeals in it: “A tragedy is unfolding before our eyes that we cannot bear alone! We knocked on every door. Our state has turned its back on those who answered its calls for help. The mobilized and their relatives.” Many are exhausted and have no future.
The authorities do not allow demonstrations
The families filed a petition calling on the Kremlin to dismiss the soldiers from service. Permits for gatherings in several major cities were denied. Authorities’ reason: Covid restrictions are still in place.
Russian media believes the protest group could become a political problem for the Kremlin. The authorities are currently showing restraint – instead of making arrests, they are trying to intimidate demonstrators with slogans and home visits.
On social media, several women also report attempts to silence the families with more money. A woman says, “We women need our husbands and sons, not money.” Even their men at the front would now ask them to do something.
‘Mothers and women are the only legitimate critics of the military’
A Russian publication, the independent online newspaper The Insider, quoted an anonymous Russian official as saying that the authorities’ preferred strategy was “persuade, promise and pay” to stop any form of discontent on the streets.
Putin is therefore concerned that wives and mothers will pass on their concerns to voters. “In a country where there is no independent media and other effective systems of state control, where the state pursues a repressive policy against any form of citizen activism, mothers and wives are the only legitimate critics of the military,” writes the portal openDemocracy. (An)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
