Desperate wives appeal to Putin, stirring up a wave of queries

As the wives and mothers of mobilized Russians sent to war in Ukraine, these women are progressively organizing into a social movement. They are demanding the return of their husbands and sons from the frontline, staging pickets and flash mobs, and filing petitions for President Vladimir Putin. Authorities are working to stifle their actions due to the fear of escalating protests.

Despite this, the authorities acknowledge that the mobilization in Russia will persist until the president decides to end it. As such, conscripts could potentially be stationed at the front indefinitely, with no rotation scheduled.

A newfound catalyst for protests is the recent news that a man convicted of severe crimes was pardoned by the president merely for participating in the war in Ukraine.

The significant televised debate "Direct Line" featuring President Vladimir Putin is anticipated to occur on December 14 of the current year. Distressed family members of mobilized Russians are submitting a multitude of questions. This flurry of activity is reported by the channel "Put 'domoj" (The Way Home) on Telegram, a platform dedicated to issues concerning mobilized individuals that boasts 30,500 users.

"Both my husband and my brother are at the front, and they were conscripted at the beginning of the mobilization, Not once have they returned home in the last nine months. My son keeps wondering why his father is the only one fighting among his peers - the only one who got mobilized," shares Tatiana (name changed at her request). Even though she agreed to grant DW an interview, Tatiana opted against any personal disclosures. "I fear not for myself but for my husband and brother; it could put them in danger," she emphasizes.

According to Tatiana, the regional governor's representatives proffered her husband and brother contracts with the Russian army. "But this wouldn't alter the circumstances. They are weary, drained, left without any strength or motivation," adds Tatiana, not commenting further on the Russian war with Ukraine. She also claims all her inquiries to authorities have gone unanswered.

Meanwhile, reports circulate suggesting that the command of the Russian army is striving to achieve some success on the front before Putin's impending televised appearance on December 14. Family members of soldiers serving in unit no. 95411 (Western Military District) claim that some of the mobilized, including those with minor to severe injuries, were dispatched in November to assault the city of Avdiivka. Approximately 100 people subsequently addressed Putin directly with a written demand to bring their family members back from the front.

In September 2023, one year after the initiation of mobilization, soldier's mothers and wives started drawing the authorities' attention more frequently. They criticize the indefinite nature of the mobilization and call for a rotation system. Despite this, authorities in Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Petersburg, and Moscow have prohibited women from demonstrating. Furthermore, in Chelyabinsk and Nizhnevartovsk, promises of conveying their demands to the central authorities were made.

A few impetuous women decided to hold multiple pickets in Moscow without waiting for permission. For this, they used a traditional Communist Party rally held on November 7 near the Karl Marx monument. Photos of these women wielding placards swiftly became viral on social media.

Later, a group of women in Ulyanovsk organized a flash mob and adorned their cars with posters expressing their dissatisfaction and demands for the return of their husbands, sons and sons-in-law. These images also kindled active discussions on social media. Nonetheless, the authorities thwarted these women's future actions. Some received summonses from the deputy governor ordering the removal of photographs. Another four were visited by the police, who issued warnings that "discrediting the army" came with punitive consequences. However, the broader movement for demobilization continued undeterred. In November, both a manifesto and a petition surfaced on the "Put 'domoj" channel.

Following these events, Kremlin-loyal bloggers launched a staunch attack on the regional chat channels of "Put 'domoj". They asserted that these groups of soldiers' wives and mothers were orchestrated by workers at Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) to instigate protests in Russia. Notorious Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov published a list of chat channels that were allegedly operated by "foreign secret services". Eventually, the "Put' domoj" channel was labeled a "fake", but Telegram did not provide any reasons for this decision.

In Novosibirsk, relatives of those mobilized managed to strike a deal with local authorities to hold a meeting at the community center without the press. However, they could take photos with their smartphones. Approximately 30 people attended this meeting. One woman addressed Vladimir Solovyov in a recorded segment, stating, "We are not enemies of the people, we are the people, as are our sons and husbands at the front."

Russian dissent Leonid Gosman perceives this protest as a sensitive issue for the Kremlin that could potentially result in political changes within the country. However, he doubts that the authorities would succumb to the women's demands, as this would be construed as a "demonstration of weakness in state power." "If these demands are met, other women might also start demanding the return of their men. Refusing them could prevent mass protests, but the reputation of the central government would continue to be tarnished," opines Gosman.

Many conscripted individuals are now embarking on their second winter at the front. This will stoke dissatisfaction, hints at lawyer and blogger Nikolai Bobrinsky. He perceives the possibility of the women's actions giving impetus to the anti-war movement in Russia. The expert also highlights the impending spring presidential election in the country. "It's critical not to overlook these elections which, regardless of the pre-determined official result, could become a period of social rejuvenation, and allow safe conduct of rallies - granted the candidates are even ready to talk about the mobilized servicemen."

From September 2022 onwards, there has been a "Council of Mothers and Wives" for soldiers who staged pickets near the military prosecutor's office and the Western Military District's headquarters in Petersburg. These women demanded their soldier sons be removed from the bombarded Russian region of Belgorod. The organization's head, Olga Zukanova, was detained repeatedly. In July 2023, the Ministry of Justice labeled her a "foreign agent." The organization consequently suspended its activities.