A little-known patriotic group that supports widows of Russian soldiers has called on President Vladimir Putin to order a massive mobilization of millions and close borders to ensure victory in Ukraine.
Putin, Russia’s 70-year-old paramount leader, has been under intense pressure to win a victory in Ukraine more than 10 months after he sent troops as part of an operation he says aims to drive out Russians in eastern Ukraine. Had to defend
“We ask our President, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, to allow the Russian military to carry out massive mobilization,” the Widows of Russia group said in a post on Telegram.
“We ask our President, our Supreme Commander-in-Chief, to put a stop to the departure of men of military age from Russia. And we have every moral right to do so: our husbands died protecting these men, But will protect us if they run away?”
About 300,000 additional men were drafted after they ordered what they called “partial mobilization” on 21 September, Russia’s first since World War II, although several hundred thousand Russian men fled abroad to avoid being called up. .
The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the widows’ group’s appeal. Putin said last month that there was no need for additional mobilization.
A representative of the widows’ group told Reuters that all fit Russian men should be mobilized to defend the homeland.
“The coming war will require completely different resources: human, psychological, economic,” she told Reuters. “Defending the motherland is a duty.”