Russians shocked by the case of a father separated from his daughter because her drawing criticized Moscow’s offensive

Residents in the town of Yefremov, Russia, are shocked by a case where a father was separated from his 13-year-old daughter because of her drawing criticizing Moscow’s offensive.

The town, located around 300 kilometers from the Russian capital, has outward signs of patriotic support for the year-long campaign seen across the country, but its inhabitants are quietly divided over the fighting. The case has become a testament to the repression of any criticism of the offensive.

Last year, 13-year-old Maria Moskalyova made a drawing at school showing missiles next to a Russian flag heading towards a woman and child standing by a Ukrainian flag. Her headmistress immediately contacted the police, who said they found comments criticizing the offensive on the social media profiles of the girl’s father, Alexei Moskalyov.

Moskalyov is due to go on trial on Monday on a charge of ‘discrediting Russia’s armed forces,’ which carries a maximum sentence of up to three years in prison under a law adopted last year. Moskalyov is also at risk of losing parental rights in a separate trial set to begin on April 6, according to his lawyer Vladimir Bilyenko.

Since March 1, Moskalyov has been under house arrest while his daughter has been taken to an orphanage and forbidden from calling her father, according to town councillor Olga Podolskaya. The case in this otherwise placid town in Russia’s Tula region has garnered national attention and led to an online petition calling for the child to be returned to her father.

Even Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner paramilitary force spearheading Russia’s offensive, has voiced support for Maria and criticized local authorities for their actions. In the streets of Yefremov, few inhabitants were prepared to speak openly about the case, or about their views on the campaign in Ukraine.

Alexandra, a student, said, ‘separating a father from his daughter is horrible. She just expressed a point of view,’ while a pensioner who declined to give her name said her life had changed since February 24, 2022, the day Russian troops crossed into Ukraine.

At the local cemetery, several fresh graves of soldiers killed in what Russia calls its ‘special military operation’ could be seen. The offensive has felt even closer to home in the past month, with three Ukrainian drones reported to have struck in the region, increasing concern in a small town where everyone knows each other. In the central square, two elderly women with red arm bands said they were part of a neighborhood watch initiative set up by residents to report any suspicious activity.

Alexander Salikhov, a 66-year-old retired engineer, said he wanted peace but added that ‘we have to free Russian lands’ in Ukraine. Dmitry, a 50-year-old businessman, said he had gone bankrupt because of Western sanctions, which have caused major disruption in supply chains.

Podolskaya said residents were conflicted. ‘They are depressed. They do not understand what is happening. But they cannot take to the streets. They are afraid of getting sacked — they have mortgages and children,’ she said.

Marianna, a pregnant 31-year-old, said she was more optimistic, although she said she was worried about her husband getting mobilized. ‘We hope it will end and our son will be born in a peaceful world and he will not have to fear military action,’ she said, revealing that the couple plan to call him Bogdan, a popular Ukrainian name.