“In June 2024, we bid farewell to our nephew Aman, who left for military service in Ussuriysk, and we never saw him again,” Inna reflected in an Instagram post on April 21.

Aman Malyshev, 22, had been working as a model in Yakutsk before heading to Ussuriysk to fulfill the mandatory military service required of all Russian men between the ages of 18 and 30.

“Today, we received the heartbreaking news that he died in Bryansk,” a region bordering Ukraine, Inna stated. “He hadn’t signed a contract. He was just about to come back home.”

Inna’s message quickly gained traction in her home republic of Sakha (Yakutia), stirring widespread concern.

“What caused this tragedy?! This can’t possibly be the only incident!” commented user super_gelena, tagging Aysen Nikolayev, the head of Sakha.

“No, it isn’t an isolated case. Our 18-year-old nephew was also sent to the border with Ukraine, and is now reported missing,” replied user sannikova121177 to super_gelena.

“His parents went to the combat zone searching for any sign of him, but they found nothing — it’s total chaos there! Yet, we still hold onto hope and are waiting,” sannikova121177 added.

Aman is among at least 173 conscripts who have died since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, despite repeated assurances from Moscow that conscripts would not be placed directly in combat, as reported by independent news outlet Vyorstka.

At the beginning of the invasion, many anticipated that the mothers and wives of soldiers like Malyshev would emerge as a driving force in the anti-war and anti-regime protests, reminiscent of the activism seen from the Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers during the Chechen War in the 1990s.

Indeed, women played a pivotal role in the anti-mobilization demonstrations in September 2022 — including a gathering of 500 individuals in Sakha — and subsequent protests advocating for the return of mobilized soldiers from the front lines.

However, their impact on challenging the regime and its narrative around the war has been limited. Faced with grief and the understanding that open criticism of the war could lead to state repression, many have opted to express their sorrow and frustrations in private.

“Those wives and mothers who do voice protests are very cautious to frame their actions as coming from a patriotic, loyal group of women,” noted Jenny Mathers, an expert in Russian civil-military relations and a lecturer at Aberystwyth University in Wales.

Aman Malyshev’s mother, Anna, who has two other underage sons according to her social media, seems to fit this pattern.

“I deeply appreciate everyone helping to share information about our son. However, I’d like to clarify our stance and ask for it to be respected,” Anna Malysheva expressed in an Instagram post on April 22.

“I do not wish for my son’s name to be exploited, nor for our story to be used to undermine the current government or sway public opinion against the authorities. That was never our intention in sharing Aman’s story,” she clarified.

She stated that she desires accountability for the commander of the military base in Ussuriysk — where her son completed his obligatory service — asking for them to be “held responsible” for sending him into what the Kremlin describes as a “counterterrorism operation zone,” referring to areas where Ukrainian forces are engaged against Russian troops.

She also criticized Aman’s platoon commander for “sending her son and his comrades to certain death” during a drone strike that struck the vehicle he was in.

“I am convinced that specific individuals on the ground are responsible for our tragedy, and I want their culpability to be established and for them to face proper consequences,” she articulated.

In a now-deleted Instagram Story seen by The Moscow Times, Anna Malysheva mentioned that her original post was a response to being approached by “a journalist who is a foreign agent.”

“She presents herself as someone trying to assist the state in figuring out who is to blame [for her son’s death],” expert Mathers told The Moscow Times.

Mathers observed that Malysheva’s approach aligns with those of other women and military families who criticize the state while carefully distinguishing themselves from activist groups like the Feminist Anti-War Resistance and other anti-war figures opposing Putin’s regime.

While this method of “patriotic dissent” might confuse some, Mathers argues it has effectively compelled the state to modify its policies concerning the deployment of conscripts in combat situations.

The relatively low number of conscripts killed compared to overall military casualties supports this notion.

“I don’t think this will immediately topple the regime. However, it serves as a means to hold the state accountable in a modest manner rather than through large-scale, dramatic protests,” Mathers added.

“They’re employing a strategy similar to Navalny’s, but doing so differently — utilizing the state’s own regulations and commitments to ensure accountability,” she concluded.

Whether this strategy will be successful in Aman Malyshev’s unique case remains uncertain.

Over two weeks after his passing, the young conscript’s remains were returned to Yakutsk and laid to rest on May 11.

The authorities in Sakha have not publicly acknowledged his death.

“My sympathies go out to you. I hope that when your younger sons go to serve, this chaos will have ended,” user tustuk_uibaan commented on Anna Malysheva’s post regarding her fallen son.

“It appears that if one brother dies while serving, the others are eligible for a deferment,” the mother responded.

“Then he protected his younger brothers,” user tustuk_uibaan remarked.