“We share your pain,” Russian President Vladimir Putin has told a group of mothers of Russian soldiers who have been fighting – and some of whom have been killed – in Ukraine.
“Nothing can replace the loss of a son”, he said in his opening remarks, shown on Russian state media.
A number of the mothers are active in groups that support the Kremlin.Pundits say they were painstakingly picked for the gathering.
There has been growing opposition to his invasion of Ukraine within Russia.
In the midst of the bitterly cold winter, groups of mothers of serving soldiers have been openly complaining that their sons are being sent into battle with inadequate training, weapons, and clothing.
Some have also accused the Russian military of turning those forcefully deployed into “cannon fodder”, following a string of heavy military defeats in recent months.
