Hello!

I'm Maxim Polyakov, a correspondent for the online magazine ‘7x7’. Yesterday, the Telegram channel ‘Put’ Domoy’ (‘The Way Home’), moderated by the wives of the mobilized military, published an appeal addressed to Vladimir Putin."Vladimir Vladimirovich, look at what you've brought the people to. Under your leadership, we, Russians, are losing hope. Finish the SMO and come to the negotiating table. What the hell do demilitarization and denazification even mean?” 

Two months ago, the channel’s authors were only asking to bring their husbands back home, but in the past few weeks their position has significantly radicalized. In this newsletter, I will cover the reasons behind this transformation. 

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Context
Here are a few facts that will allow  you to see the full picture.

• Telegram channel ‘Put’ Domoy’ (‘The Way Home’) was created on August 20, 2023. Thanks to the anonymity feature provided by the Telegram messenger, 'The Way Home' can operate without revealing the identities of its creators. Currently, the channel has over 35 thousand subscribers.
• On November 30, the term 'Fake' was added to the channel's name, and its description was reduced to the phrase 'Attention: many people complained that this channel is presenting itself as official.' This indicates that several hundred Telegram users reported 'Put Domoy' for allegedly copying other people's content. In response, the administrators explained that the channel was labeled as fake after numerous complaints from pro-governmental bloggers, which was a part of a large campaign to exert pressure on 'The Way Home.'
• On December 6, the independent media outlet 'Mediazona' published an article on 'Put Domoy.' It was the first time journalists managed to interview one of the channel's moderators, Kristina Arkhipova from Saratov Oblast.
• On December 17, the channel posted a video of a woman urging the return of her husband. While similar clips featuring wives of mobilized individuals appeared on other channels before, hardly anyone dared to submit their videos for posting on 'The Way Home.'

The Radicalization of the Movement

The tone of the posts published on the Telegram channel ‘The Way Home’ changed rapidly, within just three months.

In September and October, numerous posts appeared in the channel urging followers to write appeals to officials, the military, governors, and human rights advocates. The administrators of the channel attached the addressees’ emails, links to virtual receptions, and request templates to the posts. At this time, however, the wives of mobilized recruits generally supported the war in Ukraine. Here is an excerpt from a post published on October 6: "We all want to win the SMO and put an end to fascism, right? At least, I think so. We wish for our country to triumph and prosper, and the military and their families want the same thing."

Receiving mostly formal replies from the addressees, the wives of conscripts intensified their criticism of the Russian authorities. On November 12, the channel posted a manifesto demanding the return of the mobilized soldiers 'at all costs'. Here is an excerpt from the manifesto: "We are against legalized slavery. Both mobilized and those who have signed a military service contract must have the right to quit after their contract is over or after one year since the beginning of the service. We do not care who brings our men back."

Towards the end of the month, the posts abandoned polite formulations, as can be seen in the following statement: "Are we not visible? Is it truly that challenging to shoulder the responsibility, to look us in the eye, and say straightforwardly, 'We are sorry that you have been suffering for 15 months and that you continue to suffer because of our mistakes. We are striving to bring all the conscripts home permanently by the end of 2023, allowing them to celebrate the New Year at home with their families. We apologize for turning your life into a living hell.' It would have been honest, and perhaps, we might have even understood."

On December 5, 'The Way Home' shared an anonymous post from the wife of a conscript, referring to Putin as 'a reigning old man': "As of today, the point of no return has been crossed, and the relatives of those mobilized no longer believe that 'the authorities know better.' They now realize that the authorities can exploit them without batting an eye. The myths and legends of the reigning old man are now in the past, along with the Polovtsy and Pechenegs."

Putin’s ‘Direct Line’ and the Shattering of Hopes

Administrators of the "Put Domoy" channel hoped for a change in the situation after Vladimir Putin's Q&A session on December 14. The President spent four hours responding to questions from journalists and ordinary citizens. Wives of mobilized recruits wanted him to address the issue of demobilization, but there were no comments on the matter. Following this, "Put Domoy" published several posts where women accused Putin of betrayal:

• "The realization that you were discarded as scrap 15 months ago is starting to sink in. And thank God for that. The country's leader didn't even dare to acknowledge the problem, staying true to his style – dramatic, sneaky, and cowardly." (link)
• "Yet another stab in the back, yet another act of betrayal. Send your own children to war if you want to complete demilitarization and denazification." (link)
• "Vladimir Vladimirovich, look at what you've brought the people to. Under your leadership, we, Russians, are losing hope. End the SMO and come to the negotiating table. What the hell do demilitarization and denazification mean? Do you even understand the words you're saying? Every time you utter them, people die. Let us live in peace! Or go to the front lines yourself and die there." (link)

In one of the latest videos, the wives of conscripts from the Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Kirov regions revealed that their husbands are not receiving necessary medical treatment. Instead, they are being sent to storm a fortified area from where there is no 'way out alive.' "Today, they have been sent to another assault, even those who are physically unable to do it. One can hardly walk due to a spinal cord injury, another one does not feel his arm, the third one is blind in one eye. The reason for this wave of frustration is that the men who should be transferred to hospitals are being sent to slaughter!"

Only two months ago, it seemed that the wives of the military would choose their words more carefully or limit their activities under the pressure of law enforcers and propagandists. However, the situation has changed quickly.

As of December 19, 2023, it appears that it will take a considerable amount of time for the wives of mobilized recruits to realize that opposing the war is less risky than supporting it. The current events, however, suggest that circumstances can take a 180-degree turn, and the women will eagerly adapt to it.

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