‘Black widows’: Women accused of marrying Russian army recruits to claim death payouts

When Maria was told by the Russian military that her 59-year-old father had been shot on the front lines of the Ukraine war and had later died of his wounds, she was distraught and doubly shocked.

Not only was she unaware that her dad, Yury, had enlisted in the army, she was also informed he got married just two days before being sent to fight.

“I’m still in shock and still can’t accept what happened,” Maria said, sobbing at the kitchen table in her small St. Petersburg apartment. “At first, it felt like a dream. Even now, I sometimes wake up thinking I must have just dreamt it all. But it is really happening,” she added tearfully.