Wife of fallen Russian soldier exposes harsh reality in Ukraine. 'Our men are dying for no reason'

The harshness of war in Ukraine mainly impacts the Ukrainians. However, the families of mobilized Russian soldiers too often suffer—even those who earlier did not resist the war. An exemplary instance is the video recorded by a woman from Petersburg identifying herself as Maria Iszkova. She states she was married to a Russian soldier stationed in the invaded Zaporizhia region, who died in action.

The video extends for nearly 4 minutes, during which Maria recounts her and her husband's story. She begins by highlighting that she is not a member of Ukraine's special services but an ordinary individual wishing to share her ordeal—an effort often met with skepticism in Russia.

She noted that her husband was mobilized in the autumn of 2022. Wounded in combat, he returned to the frontlines post-recovery in April 2023. Maria journeyed to occupied Berdyansk to spend the New Year with her husband. Sadly, she was informed of his passing by his comrades just a day before their planned reunion.

The loss of her husband, coupled with what she witnessed in the seized regions, propelled her to record the video. In it, she criticizes the war, Russians' political perspective, and their understanding of their country's situation. She suggests such ignorance is resulting in needless Russian casualties.

I never showed interest in politics, the state of our country, law or anything beyond the routine work-home cycle, just like our average citizen. I lost my greatest love. It's only now that I've awakened. On arriving in these "new territories", I visited my husband in Berdyansk in the Zaporozhye region. I want to tell you, the locals here don't want war. No one does. Our men, our loved ones, are dying for no apparent reason - Maria disclosed in the video.

Former Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Anton Heraszczenko uploaded the video on platform X (previously Twitter) with English subtitles.