Yaroslav Leonov has been living in exile since President Vladimir Putin announced Russia’s partial mobilisation in September. Back in Moscow, his wife, Yekaterina Filimonova, and their three sons have to get by on their own. “The first month was very sad” says Filimonova, “it was very hard for me and it was hard for the kids”. They are not the only ones divided by the conflict, with the chaotic and hurried exodus of tens of thousands of military-aged men tearing apart families and piling pressure on mothers across Russia.
