An 11-year-old girl has confronted Russian President Vladimir Putin over the treatment of her uncle, who was wounded while fighting in the war against Ukraine.
The girl, Kira, questioned Putin about why her uncle—injured in the arm during combat—was being sent back to the front despite his condition.
Earlier this year, images circulated showing exhausted and injured Russian soldiers struggling through muddy trenches, some using walking aids, as they were ordered back into battle.
Kira’s father, Vladimir Pimenov, 36, was killed last year while fighting in the Donetsk region. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage.
During a meeting with Putin on Red Square in Moscow, the schoolgirl pleaded for her uncle to be transferred “to a good hospital in Russia.”
“My uncle is at the front now,” she told Putin, who was surrounded by religious leaders. “He was wounded in the arm. He was in hospital.”
“They’re not treating him at all, and now they’re sending him back on a mission,” she added. “I would like him to be transferred to a good hospital in Russia.”
Putin appeared taken aback and responded, “We’ll definitely find him, all right?”
Kira, who is from Siberia, made sure the president knew who she meant: “His name is Anton Fisyura.”
“Certainly. Thank you for remembering him,” Putin replied, before kissing her on the head and moving on.
Anton, who has two sons aged nine and 18, is one of three uncles Kira says are fighting in the war.
She presented Putin with a handmade Cheburashka toy—a Soviet-era character with large round ears.
“I also knitted a Cheburashka toy for my uncle Anton, then for uncle Vanya and uncle Yura, who are now defending the Motherland,” she said.
“My toys will definitely bring them luck.”
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