At the campaign headquarters of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the wife of a Russian soldier made an emotional plea on Saturday for her husband to return from Ukraine, in a challenging scene within a country where public criticism of the war is banned. Maria Andreyeva addressed campaign members saying, "Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin issued a decision that requires my husband to be there (in Ukraine). I want to know when a decision will be made for my husband to come home."
Andreyeva engaged in a heated exchange with a woman who told her that Russian soldiers in Ukraine are defending their homeland and that she should pray for them. Andreyeva responded, "And what then? The Ministry of Defense spends its money; do we need to push our men to their last breath? To return to us soulless?" She added, "What will I get? A man without legs or without arms, or a sick man? Don't you know what is happening there?"
The exchange highlights the anger and desperation among the families of some soldiers as the war continues with no end in sight after nearly two years. Andreyeva noted that she has not seen any urgency from the authorities in addressing the concerns of soldiers' wives, adding that it is time to intensify their campaign.
She told reporters that her daughter is struggling with speech due to her father's absence. She concluded, "All the problems of my family can be solved with one thing: bringing my husband back. Because she becomes a completely different child when her father returns home."
