Putin Invites Mothers of Veterans for a Chat
Only Pre-Agreed Questions Allowed... Recorded Broadcast, Not Live
On the 25th (local time), Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, met with mothers of soldiers who participated in the war in Ukraine at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence on the outskirts of Moscow. Photo by AP Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Foreign media reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin met with families of soldiers mobilized for the Ukraine war at his residence. Some suspect that the event was orchestrated by Russian authorities.
According to major foreign media on the 25th (local time), President Putin spent time chatting with 17 mothers who have sons fighting in the war at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence on the outskirts of Moscow.
Recently, the Kremlin, including President Putin, has been increasing contact with families of soldiers deployed in combat ahead of "Mother's Day" on the 27th. Besides this event, meetings with reservist families are also planned on Mother's Day itself.
The event was recorded on video rather than broadcast live. In the footage, President Putin said, "I understand that the death of soldiers cannot be replaced by anything," and "I want you to know that we share your (soldiers' mothers') pain."
He also urged people not to trust war-related news found online. He said, "Nothing on the internet is trustworthy," and "There are all kinds of deception and lies there."
On the 7th of last month (local time), reservists in Omsk, located in south-central Russia, are saying farewell to their relatives before departing for their units following the mobilization order. Photo by Yonhap News
However, voices of distrust toward the authorities are being detected. The Russian anti-war group "Wives and Mothers Committee" raised suspicions of staging on Telegram, stating, "The mothers invited to the event were told to ask only pre-agreed questions."
Some families of soldiers deployed in combat are also growing dissatisfied. Those left behind in Russia express frustration that the authorities are not providing proper information about the reservists mobilized for the war. Especially as it became known that the soldiers are being sent into extremely harsh conditions as cannon fodder, distrust is intensifying.
Earlier, the UK Ministry of Defence reported on Twitter about the situation of Russian soldiers mobilized under the reservist call-up order issued by the president in September. The main points were that these soldiers were sent into battle without proper training or equipment, and due to inadequate medical services, some wounded soldiers were not even receiving treatment. The UK Ministry of Defence also reported that there have been large numbers of reservist casualties on some fronts. Consequently, some expect that families of deployed soldiers might risk arrest by the authorities to stage protests in opposition.
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