Since the beginning of the "partial" mobilization, the Russian authorities have rejected reports of a shortage of equipment for the mobilized, despite the fact that even on the government resource, conscripts are advised to take quadcopters and night vision devices with them to the military unit, and in some parts they even urge you to buy sanitary pads in advance and tampons as dressings. The Insider found that the wives of mobilized Russians are discussing in Telegram chats how much it costs to assemble a husband for war, and complain about the lack of all the necessary equipment. At the same time, some of them continue to write patriotic slogans from time to time, while others admit that they are scared.
Most of these chats are closed, messages in them can be seen only by joining the link. The Insider cites messages posted in mobilization chats by women from several Russian cities, as well as from annexed Crimea.
A woman named Natalia, whose husband has already been mobilized, writes in one of the chats that now "they are also taking those who did not serve." According to her, her husband never did military service, did not hold a weapon in his hands and “did not see him in the eye.” The Russian woman claims that the military specialty was “invented” for him in 2016, as the employer demanded a military ID.
She also shared that everyone was given out in the unit, but some equipment had to be bought in addition:
“My husband was given everything new. The plaques are shining! However, the berets are uncomfortable. It is impossible to squat or run in them. I began to look for army statutory berets, with lacing in holes, petrol and oil resistant. On Wildberries, such berets, starting from size 41, are over. In the city too. Found only in one place. Thank God, at a price of 5.5 thousand. They used to be cheaper! I rushed for thermal underwear – the same picture. Why not freeze prices for military equipment? It’s a crime to create shortages and inflate prices in such a difficult time!!!”
The woman claims that “everything is available in Crimea,” but she buys a lot more “for comfort.” The wife of another mobilized named Marina responds to Natalia's message:
“Natasha, to fully equip yourself is modestly about 80 thousand rubles, but in a good way, as it should be, about 150 thousand. Some are fighting, others are getting rich."
Natalia writes that you need to take linen and hygiene products, and the rest, if retraining is provided (apparently, as in the situation with her husband), is issued.
“Soap-rylnoe be sure to take! Also shorts, socks, a couple of T-shirts. Everything is given out, do not take too much, let it be better to make a list later, bring what you need. This is in the event that retraining is provided. If it’s already a military man, then they send it right away, without preparation.”
Despite all the indignation of women, including the revealed shortage of one and a half million sets of military uniforms ( one of them mentions the news in a voice message ), some Russians continue to leave patriotic slogans in chats, and are also proud of the fact that they are Russians.
"We are Russians!!! We believe, we believe, and we will believe! Victory will be ours! Russian Truth is behind us!”
Immediately, messages on the topic of equipping military personnel from Natalia flicker: “Women, there are no words! I hope they won’t go into battle with shovels!”
At the same time, Natalia claims that their husbands will cope, become “new heroes” and return alive and healthy. She urges women to “inspire their husband”, and not inspire uncertainty and fear: “Change your mood, otherwise your husband will lose heart, he feels your mood.”
Rita, the wife of another mobilized, adds that she is still scared: “We believe, of course, and pray that all this will end soon, everyone will return alive and healthy! But it's scary all the same, you can't get this horror anywhere. All we can now is pray for them, for us, for the world.” After that, Natalia argues that women should also help their husbands with deeds, for example, buy equipment and, if possible, visit with “goodies”.
In the same chat, the wife of the mobilized, who introduced herself as Marina, advises taking pads as insoles in shoes. According to her, they absorb moisture well and are “so warmer.” She shared another piece of advice with women:
“You buy a tampon and open it, dip it in citric acid powder, shake it off and pack it tightly (it will stop a small amount of bleeding).”
Some participants claim that their husbands (who are probably undergoing combat coordination and have not yet gone to war in Ukraine) are “positive”, they are fed deliciously, they “play backgammon” and go to concerts, as well as to shops. Similar messages are written by women with reference to the city of Luga (Leningrad region). At the same time, they claim that none of them knows where their husbands are then sent.
Not only wives write in chats, but also acquaintances, sisters and neighbors of mobilized men. So, in one of them, a woman tells how her mobilized brother had to wait for a bus for several hours in the cold.
Another writes that her neighbor was mobilized and told that they would be sent to the border, but no exercises are being held. “This is scary, they don’t give any training, now they are looking for armor.” In addition, Russian women send an anonymous message that women are giving birth to a child, and then he “needs to be sent to his death.”
They also discuss in chats how summonses are now distributed. One of the members of the group claims that in St. Petersburg they are forced to deliver summonses to HOA employees.
There are also women in the chat who are looking for their mobilized relatives, as they have lost contact with them. One of them wrote a message stating that her son took a push-button phone with him and has not responded to messages for two weeks. She clarified that she was writing from her son's account and asked for help. There are similar messages in the group with relatives of those mobilized from Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug: a woman named Zinaida sent a voice message in which she claims that she has not been able to contact her son for a week, and she has not been answered on the hotline. Other participants are advised to calm down and find out where their son was mobilized, and also share the phone numbers of the units where you can clarify the information.
After the announcement in Russia of a “partial” mobilization for Wildberries, the demand for goods for the military increased sharply, Paper reported, citing the Anabar research agency. For example, Russians began to buy sleeping bags 460% more often, and foams that the mobilized are allowed to take with them – by 390%, camping dishes – by 370%, and balaclavas – by 360%. Push-button phones and first-aid kits began to be bought 200% more often. At the same time, body armor has risen in price by more than 40%.
On September 27, Sirena published a video in which a representative of a military unit in the Altai Territory advises conscripts to buy hydrogen peroxide, tourniquets, and ask their wives to take the cheapest pads to put in their shoes, and tampons to cover bullet holes with them. According to the woman, she knows these methods since the days of Chechnya. After the video was shared on social networks, Dmitry Perminov, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Defense, said that reports of a shortage of equipment for the mobilized were fake. He also clarified that this is the first time he hears that someone advises taking pads to the army.
The territorial departments of Roszdravnadzor, in turn, warned the heads of pharmaceutical organizations about the shortage of dressings, hemostatic agents and hemostatic tourniquets. This was reported by Pharmaceutical Bulletin, citing an information letter and sources in pharmacy associations.
