A group of Russian women have called on President Vladimir Putin to stop forcing their sons and husbands to join the Russian military without proper training.
According to CNN, the group of women said their loved ones had been “forced to join assault groups” at the beginning of March with only four days of training since their mobilisation in September.
In a video posted on Sunday to the Russian news outlet SOTA, the women described Putin’s actions as sending the men “like lambs to the slaughter”, adding that the men are sent “five at a time, against 100 heavily armed enemy men.”
Holding a sign that reads, “580 Separate Howitzer Artillery Division”, dated March 11, 2023, the women called on Putin to “pull back our guys from the line of contact and provide the artillerymen with artillery and ammunition”.
The women also say of their loved ones, “They are prepared to serve their homeland but according to the specialisation they’ve trained for, not as stormtroopers.”
It’s possible this group of mothers speaking out could have significant impacts on Russian society’s support for the war in Ukraine. Researchers have been speculating on when, or if, the mothers of Russian soldiers would choose to show resistance against Putin.
And this isn’t the first time Russian women have spoken out against Putin on TV, despite the risks associated with doing so. About a year ago, Marina Ovsyannikova, an employee of a popular Russian state-owned tv station, held up a sign in support of Ukraine on a live news broadcast, which read “no war: don’t believe the propaganda, they are lying to you here.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had big impacts on the lives of everyday people in Russia, and the Kremlin’s decision to send Russian men to war has received a significant amount of criticism from the Russian people.
CNN reports that many young Russians have fled the country to avoid being forcefully enrolled in the military. Many Russian troops are also now releasing videos on social media to show the logistical difficulties going on behind-the-scenes of battle such as poor food, having to sleep on foam mats and a lack of medical supplies.
It’s clear as well that Russian forces aren’t shying away from using manipulative tactics on their own soldiers. In February 2022, troops were told they were going on routine exercises before finding themselves sent to Ukraine.
Russian civilians with medical conditions that should disqualify them from service have also been drafted.
While Moscow is currently gaining ground in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the lack of training of Russian soldiers has helped Ukrainian soldiers throughout the ongoing war.