For International Women’s Day, Putin tells women to ‘be proud’ of males combating in warfare

Russian President Vladimir Putin advised girls throughout his nation Tuesday to “be proud” of their male relations participating within the invasion of Ukraine, as movies circulating on social media indicated a big grassroots backlash to the warfare.

In a speech marking International Women’s Day, Putin took a second to deal with “the mothers, wives, sisters and fiancées of our men and officers, who are fighting to defend Russia during the special military operation” — the euphemistic time period favored by the Kremlin to explain the bloody assault in opposition to Moscow’s western neighbor.

“I know that you are worried about your loved ones,” he mentioned. “You can be proud of them, just as the whole country is proud and concerned about them.”

In the identical speech, Putin insisted neither conscripted troopers nor reservists could be known as up to participate within the brutal combating.

“Only professional military personnel are fulfilling the tasks set to them,” he claimed.

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Thousands of Russian residents have been detained at antiwar protests throughout the nation for the reason that invasion started, with many accusing the Putin regime of concealing the true nature of the battle. Captured Russian troopers have been recorded making statements that that they had no concept they have been being despatched to Ukraine till the final minute earlier than the invasion order got here.

In Siberia, video obtained by the UK’s Daily Telegraph Monday confirmed troopers’ moms shouting down a regional governor making an attempt to elucidate away the warfare.