the women’s movement demanding the return of soldiers seems to be gaining momentum in Russia

At least 300,000 men are currently engaged by Russia on the Ukrainian front.

After 14 months of mobilization, wives or sisters of mobilized soldiers are demanding their return. The military has very little leave and the losses, even if there are no official statistics, are significant. This is not the first time that Russian power has been confronted with protests from women, which have been less vocal in recent months. Their movement, which seems to have been born on social networks, is growing in several cities.

On Telegram, the channel that brings these women together is called “the path of reason” and it has some 14,000 subscribers. In several cities in Russia, women even came out to demonstrate to demand the return of their mobilized men. But they are careful not to openly criticize government policy too much, like this woman who broadcast this testimony openly on Telegram: “Personally, I am not opposed to the special military operation, but it is completely unfair that for fourteen months they have been carrying out the work of professional soldiers indefinitely and without replacement, like slaves.”

“I just don’t understand how this can happen. Is there really no way to do a replacement in such a big country with over 68 million people?”

A Russian woman

on Telegram

This movement is difficult to quantify. It does not seem massive, nor does it seem marginal. Above all, the message delivered could be problematic for Russian power. By calling for a rotation among those mobilized, these women highlight the glaring inequalities in Russian society. The soldiers at the front often come from the poorest regions or classes of the country.

A rotation is not envisaged by the authorities

But this movement has not yet provoked any official reaction and the return of those mobilized to their homes seems less than ever on the agenda. The fighting is raging, particularly in the Kherson region, where Russian soldiers posted a video on social networks. They are protesting against the attitude of their hierarchy after heavy losses in the defense of islands located on the Dnieper River: “The battalion commander is having trouble with the rotation. He is not letting us rest right now, he is forcing us to go to the islands. No one will go. Yes, we are not afraid, no one will go to the islands. If he wants us to go to the islands, let him come and sit in the boat with us and we will sail to the islands.”

This weekend, soldiers’ wives attempted to organize protests in some cities. They have all been officially banned due to the Covid epidemic.