I have some relatives in ruzzia, I don’t know most of them, but in my childhood, I was close to my cousins.
They’re fraternal twins, and the girl have her kids. I’m not close to them, however, we’ve been keeping in touch once in a while. She was the only one of my relatives, who was openly against the war, and contacted me to ask how I was. Nobody else even tried to, however most of them know where I’m located.
Her second kid, a boy, turns 18 today. In ruzzia, all serfs boys must serve in the army. In ruzzia, it’s called a tax for the poor.
I just found it fascinating, it was just recently she called me, it was March of 2022 —
they have some ineternet access widely blocked in ruzzia, while the war had just started —
and back then he just turned 15. We joked something about him joining the army soon, but we both were sure the war won’t be that long. Meaning ruzzia won’t hold their bluff army for that long, we both clearly knew their ‘first in the world’ army is just a hoax. It was pretty fast shown as second in Ukraine, and then second in ruzzia.
Still, my nephew is 18 and he lives in ruzzia. Last time I had seen him, about 8 years ago, he was about 10. I hope they’ll manage to not join the army, whatever it takes them. I guess in ruzzia, they have very little understanding of what is happening in their country. And the scale of it.