For Victoria, the war in Ukraine had reached her small apartment in Moscow a month ago. The Russian army took her brother and her husband. Victoria is crying. The couple have a one and a half year old son. Many women left behind don’t know how to cope. They often donate the last of their money to buy basic necessities. For example, safety vests are in high demand, but they are scarce. Women buy backpacks, medicines, insulated underwear and warm socks for their husbands.

There is a lot to see in videos that are often shared online. The man appeals to the authorities with a request to do something so that the loans do not become overdue. In another video, a group of men on a Russian state-owned railway train yells that food is not being provided for the journey. A woman in uniform tells the men to bring tampons to treat gunshot wounds. There is a lot of shortage of first aid kits.

But the reservists also complain that sometimes there is no helmet or weapon. “They gave clothes, shoes, a gas mask and a shovel,” Alexey tells the independent internet portal histories.media. With his own money, he bought a sleeping bag and combat boots.

Weapons, ammunition and protective equipment are missing

The unrest is so great that even Russian rulers and parliamentarians are publicly mobilizing. State Duma deputy Andrei Gurulev expressed disgust, saying that hundreds of thousands of sets of personal equipment have disappeared and no one explains how or why. Vladimir Putin fired Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Bulgakov, but that doesn’t explain “why conscripts don’t get uniforms.”

People’s Deputy Leonid Slutsky said that “this is a shame”, and noted that sometimes there is not even enough ammunition and weapons. Conscripts also complain that promised military salaries, which range from 1,600 to 4,900 euros depending on the region, are being delayed or not being paid.

And although hundreds of thousands have left the country, many succumb to their fate. Of course, there are Russians who are determined to support Putin in Ukraine, but many serve only because they cannot escape or are afraid of prison. Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly urged Russian soldiers not to sacrifice themselves for Putin and to surrender voluntarily.

Fear and pain relief

Meanwhile, many are paralyzed by fear, and they hardly dare to go out into the street. According to authorities, CCTV cameras are widely used in Russia to detect conscientious objectors.

The Russian president did not say a word at a recent press conference when he visited Kazakhstan about the dead Russian soldiers. He only partially acknowledged some mistakes in the mobilization of troops and reiterated that the newly recruited troops would mainly reinforce the 1,100-kilometer front line in Ukraine. Even after nearly eight months of war, Putin is making no move to end the bloodshed.

Source: DV