Putin saves the “boys” of Moscow’s elite: from Medvedev’s son to Shoigu’s son-in-law, for young people guaranteed extra-luxury, war-free vacations. While the president praises the patriotism of the reservists enlisted and sent to the front with Ukraine without adequate training and with scarce equipment, the children of the country’s elite continue to lead their privileged lives, between luxuries and vacations in distant destinations. The Telegraph reports this, citing the investigation by Vazhnye Istorii, an independent Russian newspaper specializing in investigative journalism and criticism of the Kremlin.
Most of the children and relatives of top Russian politicians interviewed by the newsroom of Vazhnye Istorii answered the journalists’ call by hanging up. The question was, “If drafted, would you fight in Ukraine for Russia?”
Among the young people questioned is Alexei Stolyarov, 32, whose father-in-law is Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defense minister: he was on vacation in Nepal when he took a call from the Russian independent newspaper and declined to comment. Ilya Medvedev, 27, son of Dmitry Medvedev, on the other hand, replied that he had not received the call-up to join the enlisted soldiers.
Alexander Kolokoltsev, the 39-year-old son of the Russian interior minister, said he would be willing to fight in Ukraine if called upon. Zaur Tsalikov, 31, the son of a deputy defense minister, explained that he didn’t have the skills to be drafted. As the Telegraph reports, he told reporters from Vazhnye Istorii: “Why didn’t I volunteer to go? What do I have to do with the military? There are soldiers, people with military professions». The children of other senior Russian officials refused to speak openly to reporters.
On the other hand, there are several children and family members of important Russian officials who have condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Among them, the Telegraph explains, is Liza Peskova, born in 1998, daughter of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The day after the Russian war broke out in Ukraine, he posted an anti-war post on Instagram. The content was removed the same day. Last August, however, a Russian politician publicly denounced his daughter as a “traitor” for speaking out against Putin’s “special military operation”, claiming she had no role in his upbringing and adding that his daughter had mental problems.
Russian Senator Eduard Isakov, on the other hand, said he cut ties with his daughter Diana when he found out he was opposed to the war in Ukraine. Yaroslav Mironov, son of Sergei Mironov, leader of one of Russia’s four main pro-Kremlin parties, also condemned the government shortly after the invasion began.
Source: IL Tempo
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
