"Kremlin's Tactics to Appease Soldiers' Wives Amid Protests: Putin Worries"
The Kremlin is reportedly concerned about the potential political impact of disgruntled wives and relatives of Russian soldiers who are unhappy with long deployments. To prevent protests, regional officials have been instructed to expedite salary payments to soldiers' wives. The Kremlin believes that most wives are more concerned about the paycheck than their husbands' return from war. Recent requests for protests by soldiers' wives in Moscow and St. Petersburg have been denied. The Kremlin's concern stems from the influence that wives and mothers of mobilized soldiers have had in shaping public opinion in past conflicts. With the upcoming presidential elections in 2024, Putin fears that they could become the nucleus of an anti-war movement.