In videos taken last autumn and winter showing the ritual of seeing off the mobilised men to the army, we see ordinary streets, town memorials, and yards. The men in these videos could be our neighbours or relatives. The ceremonies are official, with mayors or local military officers speaking into microphones (although they still haven’t learned to speak in public). Then a priest from a local church speaks with a professional voice, without a microphone, offering wishes for a safe return. The message is clear: return home, with victory or without it, but return home. And, without fail, there are a few words about NATO.
Then, all the men get on the buses. Some walk hand in hand with a teary-eyed woman (wife, sister, girlfriend?), while others hold a small daughter (I have one of the same age). I watch them from another country and realise that I would not want to be among them. If I faced this threat, I would try my best to avoid being among them. However, it is easy for me to picture myself there. Something inside me shows readiness to go to the war and die there with the rest of them.
I am sure that few of those in Russia who are going to the war, voluntarily or not, wish to kill. Of course, apart from a small number of those obsessed with murder. Others go for something else. Experts, publicists, and bloggers ask the question: how did so many people decide to become murderers? However, I am sure that they did not make that decision. There is another reason.