MOSCOW - More than a year after President Vladimir Putin summoned 300,000 draftees to fight in Russia's war in Ukraine, some of their families are starting to demand they come home.
Wives, mothers and girlfriends of mobilised Russian soldiers have begun protests calling on the Kremlin to bring their men back from the war.
Their movement, called The Way Home, has gained more than 37,000 followers on its Telegram channel in support of calls for demobilisation of the troops called up in September 2022.
So far, the authorities have limited their response to sending the police to warn organisers against protesting.
While the number involved now is relatively small, the movement risks embarrassing the Kremlin as Mr Putin prepares for presidential elections in March 2024.
Officials claim overwhelming public support for the invasion of Ukraine that has lasted almost two years with no end in sight.
"We are in favour of complete demobilisation, not rotation. We don't want anyone to go through what we went through," said Ms Maria, 26, from Moscow, an activist whose boyfriend was among the first to be drafted.
"I personally want the military operation to end. How can you feel good about the fact that people die every day, that someone's body gets eaten by rats in the fields?" Ms Maria asked not to disclose her surname or identify her boyfriend, fearing official retaliation.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 23, 2023-Ausgabe von The Straits Times.
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