Mothers and Wives of Russian Soldiers Call on Putin to Stop Sending Them ‘To the Slaughter’

A group of Russian wives and mothers have called on President Vladimir Putin to stop sending their husbands and children “to the slaughter”, forcing them to join groups without adequate training or supplies.

In a video shared by independent Russian Telegram channel SOTA, the women said their loved ones were “forced to join assault groups” in early March, despite having only trained four days since their mobilization in September.

The video shows the women holding a sign in Russian that reads: “580 Separate Howitzer Artillery Division”, dated March 11, 2023.

“My husband is located on the line of contact with the enemy,” says a woman in the recording.

“Ours [homens] Mobilized troops are being sent like lambs to the slaughter to break into fortified areas – five at a time, against 100 heavily armed enemy men,” she continued.

“They are prepared to serve their homeland, but according to the specialization they were trained for, not as stormtroopers. We ask that you withdraw our men from the line of contact and provide the gunners with artillery and ammunition.”

A CNN could not independently verify the allegations made by the women’s group in the video.

Russia’s decision to send hundreds of thousands to fight on Ukraine’s battlefields has sparked dissent and protests and has driven many Russians – especially young people – to flee the country.

“We fled Russia because we want to live,” said one man, who asked not to be identified to protect the loved ones left behind, to the CNN . “We are afraid of being sent to Ukraine.”

Families of summoned Russian men have criticized the deployment, saying it is beset by problems such as disciplinary issues and lack of leadership from mid-ranking officers, non-existent training, as well as logistical difficulties such as insufficient uniforms, poor food and a lack of medical supplies.