Stop the violence in Ukraine, says the mother of a Russian soldier.

Valya received a call from her son in the Russian army on February 20. His regiment was "training" near the Ukrainian border.

                               

"He claimed they were practicing fire and lived in tents," Valya said. "That was my final conversation with him."

Russia attacked Ukraine four days later.

Russia's onslaught has caused unimaginable pain to its neighbor. Thousands of people have been slaughtered in Ukraine since President Vladimir Putin authorized the assault.

But there are also ramifications for the families of Russian personnel who have been deployed into fight.

Her given name is not Valya. The mother has begged us to keep her identity hidden because she is afraid of repercussions from the authorities if she speaks out.

But she's eager to tell her story. She want to speak with us about her kid and her thoughts on the Kremlin's "special military operation."

"A sergeant called me from my son's base at the beginning of March." "He probably phoned everyone's parents," she speculates.

"He said the guys are OK and that they communicate with them every day." We communicated throughout March, and he assured me that everything was good.

"Then a man purporting to be my son's buddy wrote me a message." I had never met him. He discovered me on social media. He informed me that my son's leg had been blown off and that he had died. I made many phone calls and attempted to meet with officials. But no one could provide me any information.

"Eventually, the sergeant I was speaking with told me, 'Your kid last made contact on February 23.'

"'So, what's the point of calling [to say everything is fine]? Just to make us feel better?'

"'I'm sorry, I'm only a sergeant,' he explained."

Valya attempted to learn more. "I sent a letter to my son's unit," she recalls.

"I sent a letter to the military district office. I wrote to the Ministry of Defense. Then I wrote to each of them again.

"Nobody has provided me the basics: where, when, and how my kid vanished. All I know is that he was involved in a "secret military operation" and that he is missing."

How many Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine? Reporting anything other than official numbers is a criminal offence in Russia.

Russian leadership and state media strive to dehumanize Ukrainians in the eyes of the Russian population in order to legitimize the invasion.

They label Ukrainian troops and politicians as "ultra-nationalists" and "Nazis." They argue that Ukraine is the aggressor, while Russia is the liberator.

However, Valya does not consider Ukraine to be an adversary.

"If our nation had been assaulted like this, we would be defending ourselves, just like they are, and we would be upset, too," she adds.

Many Russians trust the official government story and support the "special military operation," as depicted on state television. In Russia, the Kremlin controls television and hence communications.

But not entirely. Valya communicates with the moms of troops all around Russia. She adds that there is rising dissatisfaction among moms toward the government about who is being sent to fight in Ukraine.

"They despise the government." "They despise Putin," Valya says. "Everyone wants this conflict to stop." Every mother does.

"We are the lowest social class. We're just plain country people. All of the fighters are from rural regions of Russia. Not the Muscovites. There are no government officials' sons present.

"Can you image how large an army would be if the mothers of all the troops there today, as well as the moms who have lost sons, rose up? They will, in fact. Their nerves will give way.

"Stop. Stop everything. Put a stop to it and safeguard our children."

Valya has got formal news that her son was killed in Ukraine after speaking with us. Another Russian soldier who will not come home.