Russian soldiers' families urge Putin to end Ukraine war, accuses him of "driving people to brink"
Dec 20, 2023
Moscow [Russia], December 20 : Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the families of Russian soldiers deployed at the forefront have demanded that Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, Moscow Times reported Tuesday.
It reported that the members of Put Domoi (Way Home), a group of mostly wives and mothers of mobilized soldiers have called for the return of their loved ones from extended service on the front lines.
The families also accused Putin of "driving people to the brink" and pressed for an end to Russia's "special military operation" on Monday.
"We Russians have no hope left under your leadership... sit at the negotiating table," the group said in a message addressed to the Russian leader.
"Let us live in peace! Or go to the frontline yourself and die there," it added.
Some 300,000 reservists were called up to boost Moscow's troop numbers in Ukraine as part of Putin's "partial" mobilization drive that he announced in September 2022.
Put' Domoi's message, shared on the messaging app Telegram, was accompanied by a video of what appeared to be a mobilized Russian soldier calling himself Alexander and expressing dismay over the fact that Putin ignored the group's request to impose a one-year service limit for mobilized troops, Moscow Times reported.
"I watched 'Direct Line' with our president... and there's no hope, no signs that our mobilized boys will return home in the foreseeable future," Alexander said.
Last week, Putin fielded dozens of hand-picked questions from journalists and ordinary Russians during his combined "Direct Line" call-in program and press conference.
"How cynical do you have to be to continue this mayhem and put on a brave face?" Put' Domoi asked the Russian president in its message on Telegram. "Will you not stop until you kill all the young people?"
"Will you be having a good time ringing in the New Year with your close ones and a glass of champagne? Well, not our boys."
