"Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has issued a decree that my husband has to be there (in Ukraine). I'm interested to know when he will issue a decree that my husband has to be home," Maria Andreyeva said as campaign workers looked on. She became involved in a heated exchange with a woman who told her that Russian soldiers in Ukraine were defending the motherland and she should pray for them. It showed the depth of anger and despair among some soldiers' families as the war grinds on, with no end in sight after nearly two years. Andreyeva said she did not detect any urgency from the authorities to address the concerns of soldiers' wives, and it was time to step up their campaign.

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Persons: Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, I'm, Maria Andreyeva, Andreyeva, Putin, Mark Trevelyan, Peter Graff Organizations: Saturday, Ministry of Defense, Reuters Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Ukraine, Russia