“Mothers of Russian Soldiers Appeal to End the War Over Sons' Deaths”

Online Petition Started on Change.org Demanding Withdrawal and Pullout
Criticism That Putin's Meeting with Mothers of Soldiers Is a Temporary Measure to Quell Dissatisfaction

Russian conscripts are walking along the platform before boarding a train departing for a Russian military base at a train station in Omsk, located in the south-central region, on the 27th (local time). Photo by Reuters·Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Mothers of Russian soldiers participating in the Ukraine war have started a petition campaign demanding an end to the war and troop withdrawal.

According to foreign media such as CNN, mothers of soldiers who were mobilized or conscripted for the Ukraine war began a petition on the online petition site Change.org on March 27 (local time), International Women's Day, addressed to the Russian Federation Council's Social Policy Committee and the State Duma's Family, Women, and Children Committee, demanding withdrawal from Ukraine and the return of soldiers. The women's anti-war movement group Feminist Anti-War Resistance (FAR) also participated, and so far over 4,000 people have signed.

In the petition, they stated, "The 'special military operation,' accompanied by destruction, pain, blood, and tears, has been ongoing for more than nine months," and "Everything happening in Ukraine and Russia pains our hearts." They added, "As President Vladimir Putin mentioned, at least 318,000 people have been mobilized (under the conscription order)," and "In many regions, families of mobilized soldiers are purchasing everything, including bulletproof vests, at their own expense, pushing men toward death."

They also expressed dissatisfaction over the increased economic burden due to conscription. They said, "The livelihood burden on families who have lost their breadwinners adds another weight on the already strained shoulders of mothers, and many surviving men have lost their health and labor capacity," and "The government only promises support and subsidies in words." They urged, "We oppose our children, brothers, husbands, and fathers participating in the war," and "We ask that all influence be exerted to achieve a swift end to the war and the return of our close relatives."

Meanwhile, on February 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin invited 17 mothers of soldiers participating in the war to the residence 'Novo-Ogaryovo' located on the western outskirts of Moscow. This meeting was arranged as a gesture to comfort and commend Russian women who sent their husbands and children to the military amid criticism that Russian reservists mobilized for the war are in harsh conditions.

However, there were criticisms that this meeting was merely a temporary measure to suppress dissatisfaction with the prolonged war. Some also raised suspicions that the meeting was staged. The anti-war movement group of Russian soldiers' families, the 'Committee of Mothers and Wives,' claimed that none of their affiliated families were invited to this meeting and that "the invited mothers were told in advance to only ask 'appropriate' questions."