In Moscow, a group of Russian women staged a small but significant protest outside the Defence Ministry in Moscow on Monday, demanding the return of mobilized soldiers from the front lines in Ukraine.
For months, various groups of Russian women have organized occasional demonstrations to pressure authorities into bringing back their husbands, sons, and brothers, who were mobilized following a decree by President Vladimir Putin in September 2022.
One of the participants in Monday’s protest, who identified herself as Paulina, informed Reuters that the group of 18 women had gathered to personally appeal to Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, an economist appointed by Putin to the role just last month.
Paulina, a 20-year-old who stated her husband is currently fighting in Ukraine, explained that the women are urging Belousov to implement strict limits on the duration soldiers can serve before being rotated out of active duty.
These protests by women carry sensitivity for the authorities, as the Kremlin portrays the ongoing military operations in Ukraine as having widespread support among the Russian populace.
In February, numerous journalists, including a Reuters video journalist, were briefly detained while covering a demonstration by a group called Way Home.
Paulina clarified that Monday’s action was not linked to Way Home, which Russia recently labeled a “foreign agent,” a term evoking negative Soviet-era connotations of espionage.
Despite the protest, none of the 18 women were reportedly arrested. Images and videos shared by Paulina on the Telegram app depicted women holding signs with slogans such as “Please bring Papa home,” with some accompanied by their school-aged children and toddlers in strollers.
However, no officials from the ministry engaged with the women during the protest.
This demonstration reflects the frustration and desperation experienced by families of soldiers as the conflict in Ukraine extends into its third year with no apparent resolution.
In September 2022, Putin mobilized 300,000 reservists in a move widely criticized, although he argued it was unnecessary to repeat such mobilization as hundreds of thousands more have voluntarily enlisted as contract soldiers.
Putin has pledged that Russian troops, currently advancing on various frontlines, will continue their operations until they achieve the objectives of the “special military operation.”
