Wives of conscripts demanding the return of their husbands at the first protest in Moscow, 7 November. Photo: The Way Home / Telegram
The relatives of mobilised Russian reservists have published a manifesto and petition on the Telegram channel of the demobilisation pressure group The Way Home demanding full demobilisation.
“Our state has turned its back on those who were the first to respond to its call for help, the conscripts and their loved ones,” the manifesto said. “We remember how the Russian president promised no reservists would be called up, and then he sent our loved ones to Ukraine. The promises were empty, and we were punished for obeying the law.”
The post included a petition calling for the return of all conscripts and for full demobilisation in Russia. Its authors say they will only back down “once our men are back home safely”.
They called the situation in the country “absurd” and criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin, while expressing the hope that he would “hear their pleas”.
“Putin declared 2024 the year of the family. Ironically, wives are missing their husbands, children are growing up without fathers, and many have become orphans. And yet a Satanist serial killer is demobilised after six months,” the post read, adding: “Our president has a sense of humour, at least!”
An application to stage a protest demanding the end of mobilisation in Moscow on 25 November was turned down by the mayor’s office. There have also been cases reported of those involved in the grassroots demobilisation movement receiving threats.
