The wives and mothers of mobilized Russian soldiers are calling for a silent protest on Victory Day this Friday to demand the return of their loved ones from the war in Ukraine.
The grassroots group Put’ Domoi (“Way Home”) was formed after President Vladimir Putin announced a “partial” mobilization of 300,000 reservists in September 2022, several months into the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Since 2023, members of Put’ Domoi have staged weekly silent protests by laying flowers at war monuments while wearing their signature white headscarves.
The group issued a similar call to action for May 9, when Russia will hold a military parade on Red Square to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“Let this be a reminder: we have not forgotten. We do not accept this. We are waiting for our loved ones,” Put’ Domoi said in a statement. “We want peace — not just in words, but for real. In memory of the past war. As a symbol of this one.”
Russian authorities labeled Put’ Domoi a “foreign agent” last May. Telegram has since added a “fake” label to the group’s channel following a complaint from a pro-Kremlin blogger.
Some members have reported intimidation by police and warnings not to challenge the Kremlin’s policies on Ukraine.
Authorities are also believed to have promoted loyalist groups of wives and mothers to counter what has become one of the most visible grassroots challenges to the Kremlin’s wartime policies.
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