Putin decries media ‘lies’ at meeting with soldiers’ mothers
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday hit out at what he stated have been skewed media portrayals of Moscow’s army marketing campaign in Ukraine as he met with moms of Russian troopers preventing there.
“Life is tougher and numerous that what’s proven on TV screens and even on the Web. There are lots of fakes, dishonest, lies there”, Putin stated.
The assembly within the Kremlin with greater than a dozen girls got here as uncertainty persists over whether or not enlistment efforts might resume within the face of latest battlefield setbacks.
Putin stated that he generally speaks with troops instantly by phone, in keeping with a Kremlin transcript and pictures of the assembly.
“I’ve spoken to (troops) who stunned me with their temper, their angle to the matter. They didn’t anticipate these calls from me… (the calls) give me each cause to say that they’re heroes,” Putin stated.
Some troopers’ relations have complained of not being invited to the assembly and have instantly criticized Putin’s management in addition to the latest “partial mobilization” that protection officers stated resulted in 300,000 reservists being known as up.
Olga Tsukanova of the Council of Moms and Wives, a motion fashioned by relations of mobilized troopers, stated in a video message on the Telegram messaging app authorities have ignored queries and requests from her group.
“We’re right here in Moscow, prepared to fulfill with you. We’re ready to your reply,” she stated, addressing Putin instantly.
“We’ve males within the ministry of protection, within the army prosecutor’s workplace, highly effective guys within the presidential administration… and moms on the opposite facet. Will you begin a dialogue or will you cover?,” she stated in her message. Unconfirmed stories by some Russian media shops advised that a number of the girls assembly with Putin on Friday have been members of pro-Kremlin social actions, the ruling United Russia celebration, or native officers backing Putin’s authorities.
Valentina Melnikova from of the Union of Committees of Troopers’ Moms, a Russian rights group, instructed the impartial Verstka publication earlier this week that its members have been additionally not invited to the assembly.
Since October, relations of mobilized troopers have organized protests in over a dozen Russian areas, calling on the authorities to launch their relations from frontline obligation and guarantee that they had acceptable meals rations, shelter and tools.
Reviews by the AP, impartial Russian media, and activists have advised that most of the mobilized reservists are inexperienced, have been instructed to acquire fundamental objects comparable to medical kits and flak jackets themselves, and didn’t obtain correct coaching earlier than deployment. Some have been reported killed inside days.
Considerations persist in Russia about whether or not the Kremlin might renew its mobilization efforts, as Ukrainian forces proceed to press a counteroffensive within the nation’s south and east. Moscow has suffered a string of battlefield setbacks, dropping territory within the northeastern Kharkiv and southern Kherson areas.
Whereas Russian officers final month declared the “partial mobilization” full, critics have warned it might resume after army enlistment workplaces are freed up from processing conscripts from Russia’s annual fall draft.
