Russia uses human dramas to spread propaganda

Wiktoria Kałus 2024-07-28

The wives of Mariupol defenders wounded in Olenivka unexpectedly received video calls from their husbands in Russian captivity. As it turned out, it was a deliberate move, because Russia used one of the conversations in a propaganda interview.

For the first time in two years they had a chance to talk

Some time ago, three wives of Ukrainian soldiers in captivity had the opportunity to talk to their loved ones. The women talked about the conversations during a press conference organized at the Media Center Ukraine. Additionally, the wives of Mariupol defenders are part of the non-governmental organization “Olenivka Community”.

Anna Lobova, the wife of a Ukrainian soldier who was seriously injured during the attack in Olenivka, claims that several groups have been spreading information seeking her contact details as well as those of other wives of captive defenders.

– I contacted them, but I was simply told “your husband wanted to talk to you”. I didn’t believe it, to be honest, knowing my whole situation, and my husband didn’t know where we were. I wasn’t sure that my husband could really ask for such a thing. That was the end of it. And then, about six months later, I received an unexpected call on my Telegram in the middle of the day, and my husband was there on the video – said Anna Lobova.

Russians recorded the conversations

The woman was not informed about the recording of the conversation. She was also not informed that the video was part of an interview with her husband. After some time, Lobova found out that the full video interview with her spouse had been published in the Russian media.

Even during the video call, the woman had the impression that her husband looked scared and felt uncomfortable. Lobova added that her husband showed dignity, when the man answered all questions in an interview that was published by the Russians. The woman noticed that the published video contained attempts to evoke emotions in the Ukrainian soldier by talking to their little child.

At the same time, two more wives of captive defenders, Mariia Aleksieievich and Anastasiia Hondiul, who also spoke with their husbands via video calls, noted that similar interviews had not been made public based on the results of their conversations. After the conversations, all women were sent a fragment of the recording in which their husbands asked the Ukrainian authorities to release them from captivity.

Fot. Media Center Ukraine