News
The mothers and wives of mobilized men from the island of Sakhalin in Russia’s Far East will be sent to Donbas to monitor their needs, according to a report from local media outlet Sakh.Online.
The decision was made on November 27 at a meeting of relatives of the mobilized with Sakhalin governor Valery Limarenko dedicated to Mother's Day. Sakh.Online reported that the initiative was put forward by the women themselves, and Limarenko promised to resolve the issues with the military. “I am sure the women will be very careful to ensure that the soldiers' requests are correctly fulfilled and that the parcels get to the [intended] addressees faster, as we are talking about their sons and husbands,” he said.
The relatives' trips will be financed by United Russia (the country’s governing party) – the women will become participants of the party's “Soprichastnost” (“Affiliation”) initiative. One Irina Nigmatulina, whose son is now fighting against Ukraine, will be the first to go to the Donbas. “The main thing for us, mothers and wives, is to support the boys. The women will probably visit the ‘special military operation’ zone, collect their requests and make sure that all of them are fulfilled. That would be our contribution to the victory,” Sakh.Online quoted her as saying.
On November 25, Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the mothers of soldiers taking part in the war in Ukraine. Neither the Committee of Soldiers' Mothers, nor the Council of Mothers and Wives of the Mobilized were invited – instead, representatives of both organizations were placed under surveillance. No independent civilian guests attended the event – Putin's roundtable included All-Russia People’s Front functionaries, as well as officials from the United Russia party.