Russian woman learned from a stranger’s message on social networks that her son died in Ukraine

The last time Valya (not his real name) spoke to his son was on February 20: “He told me that he was conducting military exercises near the border with Ukraine and living in tents.” Four days later, the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, but the Russian woman heard the news from a relative only in early March, when a sergeant from her son’s base “called” her: “He said that everything is in order. him every day. We kept in touch throughout March and he said everything was fine.”

But it wasn’t like that. Valya was sent a message by a man who introduced himself as a friend of his son. “I didn’t know him. Found me on social media. He told me that my son’s leg had exploded and that he had died.” woman in shock reports, in an interview with the BBC, who made “numerous calls” to his son’s military base, but “no one could tell him anything.” In the end, Valya called the sergeant with whom he had kept in touch throughout March, and he confessed to him: “The last time we talked with your son was on February 23rd.”

“Why did you call me? [a dizer que estava tudo bem]Vila asked. On the other hand, the short answer is: “Sorry. I’m just a sergeant.” The Russian mother did not give up and even wrote to the Ministry of Defense. “No one could give me the most elementary information: when, where and how my son disappeared. All they said was that he was involved in a “special operation” and that he disappeared.”

Only a few months later – Valya does not specify when – he received official notice that the son died in the Ukrainian war. Despite this, the woman assures that she does not hold a grudge against the Kyiv authorities. “If a [a Rússia] if we were attacked in this way, we would also defend ourselves, as they do. We would have defended ourselves too and would have been furious too.”

After her son’s death, Valya says that she often talks to a group of other soldiers’ mothers. Contrary to Russian propaganda, these women are rebelling against the government and the war. “They hate Vladimir Putin. They want an end to the war. All mothers want it.”

“We are the underclass. We are simple village people. All the youth who are fighting are from remote regions of Russia. They are not Muscovites. Government officials do not have children [na guerra da Ucrânia]laments Vayla, who wants to see the end of the war. “Stop. Stop and protect our children.”