LONDON, Nov 25 (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin spoke on Friday to a rigorously chosen group of mothers of Russian soldiers despatched to battle in Ukraine who praised his management whereas he advised them their sons had not died in useless.
Tens of 1000’s of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or wounded in the battle sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, based on the United States.
Hundreds of 1000’s of Russians have been despatched to battle in Ukraine – together with some of the greater than 300,000 referred to as up as half of a mobilisation introduced in September.
Hundreds of 1000’s extra have fled Russia to flee the draft, and dissatisfaction with soldiers’ lack of gear or coaching or the chaotic nature of the mobilisation might be discovered throughout social media. Protests in opposition to the warfare and the enlistment drive have been crushed by power.
Putin was proven in recordings assembly 17 ladies at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence exterior Moscow to mark Sunday’s Russian Mother’s Day, sitting round a desk laden with tea, desserts and berries, and listening to their tales for over two hours.
Putin mentioned he understood their nervousness and concern – and the ache of those that had misplaced sons.
“I would like you to know that, that I personally, and the whole leadership of the country – we share your pain,” he mentioned.
“We understand that nothing can replace the loss of a son – especially for a mother,” he added, respiratory closely and ceaselessly clearing his throat.
Putin has mentioned he has no regrets about what he calls Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine, which he describes because the second Russia confronted down Western hegemony after many years of humiliation because the Soviet Union fell in 1991.
Ukraine and the West say Putin has no justification for what they are saying is a warfare of conquest.
‘HE DID NOT LEAVE LIFE IN VAIN’
[1/4] Russia’s President Vladimir Putin attends a gathering with mothers of Russian servicemen collaborating in Russia-Ukraine battle, forward of Mother’s Day on the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence exterior Moscow, Russia November 25, 2022. Sputnik/Alexander Shcherbak/Pool by way of REUTERS
Putin praised the ladies’s sons for defending “Novorossiya”, actually “new Russia”, a loaded time period from the tsarist empire that trendy Russian nationalists use to explain the big elements of southern and jap Ukraine that Russia now claims.
The president mentioned he generally referred to as soldiers on the entrance, and that their phrases had made them heroes in his eyes.
The mothers, from throughout Russia and from completely different ethnic teams, in flip expressed thanks for his management and wished him properly, earlier than telling of sons who had fought or died with valour in the service of a noble trigger.
“The Special Military Operation has brought us together,” Maria Kostyuk advised him earlier than suggesting that the houses of fallen soldiers ought to be given a star to hold on the door, as that they had been in World War Two.
Most did carry complaints, however they had been about low-level points akin to a scarcity of good clothes for the soldiers, the necessity for extra drones on the entrance, or the indifference of some officers.
Nina Pshenichkina, a lady from Ukraine’s Donetsk province whose son died, mentioned his loss had impressed her to work even more durable to make the area – now unilaterally annexed by Moscow – half of Russia.
“Your son lived, and his goal has been achieved,” Putin advised her. “And that means he did not leave life in vain.”
Other family members of soldiers killed in the warfare mentioned the Kremlin had ignored their pleas for a gathering and that the one hosted by Putin can be rigorously staged.
“The mothers will ask the ‘correct’ questions that were agreed beforehand,” Olga Tsukanova, head of the Council of Mothers and Wives, mentioned in a message on Telegram beforehand.
“Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin) – are you a man or who are you? Do you have the courage to meet us face to face, openly, not with pre-agreed women and mothers who are in your pocket, but with real women who have travelled from different cities here to meet with you? We await your answer,” Tsukanova mentioned.
Russia final publicly disclosed its losses on Sept. 21, saying 5,937 soldiers had been killed. That quantity is much under most worldwide estimates.
The United States’ prime basic estimated on Nov. 9 that greater than 100,000 soldiers had been killed or wounded on all sides. Ukraine doesn’t disclose its losses.
Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Kevin Liffey; modifying by Philippa Fletcher
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
