Ukraine calls on mothers of captured Russian soldiers to pick them up

“Don't worry Natasha, he is alive and well.

You will receive a call later.

This is the kind of message that the Ukrainian forces want to share with the mothers of Russian soldiers but also with the world.

In this video shared on Ukrainian networks of a Russian soldier captured by the Ukrainians, we see him being offered tea.

According to the Wall Street Journal correspondent who shares this image, Ukrainians claim he burst into tears when he was allowed to video call his mother.

“Many of these troops are only teenagers, who have no idea of ​​the real objective of this war”, affirms the journalist.

Video shared on Ukrainian channels of a captured Russian soldier apparently being fed by locals.

The post says he burst into tears when he was allowed to video-call his mother.

So many of these troops are just teenagers, with absolutely no clue what this war is really for.

pic.twitter.com/oCPUC8cKcO

— Matthew Luxmoore (@mjluxmoore) March 2, 2022

The effectiveness and virality of this image has apparently pushed Ukrainians to press the emotion button.

A communication weapon that is sometimes more effective than long-range bombs.

The Ukrainian army on Wednesday invited the mothers of Russian soldiers captured on its territory to pick them up, Kiev claiming to have taken dozens of prisoners since the start of Moscow's invasion of the country.

“Decision has been taken to return captured Russian soldiers to their mothers if they come to Ukraine, Kiev to pick them up,” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.

It published phone numbers and an email through which mothers can obtain information about their sons who are prisoners in Ukraine.

In the event that the detention of their son is confirmed, Russian women are advised to travel to Poland and then enter Ukraine through a border crossing point.

“You will be welcomed and taken back to Kiev where your son will be returned to you”

"You will be welcomed and escorted to Kiev where your son will be returned to you," said the Ukrainian ministry.

"Unlike Putin's fascists, we Ukrainians are not waging war against mothers and their captured children," he added.

During the conflict between Moscow and Chechen separatists in the 1990s and 2000s, many young Russian conscripts were sent to the front and some were taken prisoner.

Soldiers' mothers then mobilized to bring them back alive or bring back their corpses, not hesitating to go there, a movement that fueled anti-war protests in Russia.

The war of images is as important as that on the ground for the Ukrainian regime.