Photo: Twitter
Putin's war is tearing families apart.
By Isaac Serna-Diez — Written on Sep 22, 2022
As Vladimir Putin’s Russia rests on its hind legs in preparation for yet another wave of invading Ukraine, families are being forced to say goodbye to their families for what might be the last time they see them.
Some 300,000 civilians are being drafted into Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, meaning that many families, on either side of the border, will be ruined by senseless violence.
A video shows Russian draftees saying goodbye to their families before being forced to fight in Ukraine.
In the small town of Yakutsk, Russia, where the population sits just above 300,000, families are gathered outside of a building where they will say goodbye to their husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles, nephews, and sons as they climb aboard a bus that will take them to the war in Ukraine.
The video opens with a man saying goodbye to his wife and daughter, as the men behind him stand fearing for their lives in the coming months.
Families are drawn to tears by what the goodbyes mean, and men who are either too young, too old, or too injured to fight stay behind.
Putin’s call for new soldiers is Russia’s first mobilization since World War II and is a desperate attempt to cauterize his wounded invasion force.
There are reports across Russia that people are protesting against the draft, leading to arrests of civilians and fights against the authorities — all to no avail.
Though Putin promised that he would only send those with combat experience to the fold, many quickly realized that it was a lie after being handed conscription papers inside those police stations after being arrested.
CNN reports that, according to the independent monitoring group OVD-Info, at least four police stations in Moscow were drafting anti-war protesters directly into Russia’s military.
Russian media outlets have revealed that anyone partaking in the “illegal rallies” risks military conscription.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not deny the report, adding “This is not against the law.”
“There is no violation of the law here.”
“They will check the documents immediately on the spot, identify them, detain them and send them to the Internal Affairs bodies,” said Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov.
“Then, with the participation of representatives of the military registration and enlistment office, the draft category will be determined.”
“Those who do not immediately fit the first category will be registered for subsequent conscription.”
After the sudden counteroffensive from Kyiv, Ukraine reclaimed thousands of square miles of territory and sent Russian forces retreating, causing Putin to stage this “partial mobilization” of troops.
However, analyses from researchers for the Institute for the Study of War claim that this partial mobilization will not have a significant impact on the immediate outcome of the war.
Aside from the logistical difficulties of sending 300,000 people to the war front, the Russian reservists are “poorly trained to begin with” and “are unlikely to be combat effective for months.”
Ukraine desperately needs our support in the face of this humanitarian crisis.
If you want to help provide medical supplies and emergency care to the people of Ukraine, you can donate to the Ukrainian Red Cross here or to United Help Ukraine here.
Isaac Serna-Diez is an Assistant Editor who focuses on entertainment and news, social justice, and politics. Keep up with his rants about current events on his Twitter.