CNN on Monday aired audio of the relatives of Russian soldiers who have called a hotline in Ukraine that is dedicated to finding out what has happened to Russian soldiers who have gone missing during the war.
More than 6,000 calls from family members and friends in Russia, across Europe and the US have so far been made to the “Comeback From Ukraine Alive” service, which was set up by Ukraine’s Interior Ministry following Russia’s invasion, per the network.
“Hello, is this where one can find out if someone is alive?” one woman asked operators. Others lamented their relatives being forced into military service and used as “cannon fodder” by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We will help find their relatives who were deceived and who, without knowing where and why they are going, find themselves in our country,” one worker for the service told CNN. Another goal of the hotline was to “deliver the truth” to Russians who “don’t actually know what’s going on in Ukraine,” she added.
Listen to the audio here: