Russian wife risks her life fleeing to Ukraine with children to see her prisoner of war boyfriend and reveal Putin’s ‘lies’ – only for the stunned soldier to ask ‘what the f*** for?’ in bizarre reunion video
A Russian woman has risked her life by traveling to Ukraine to reunite with her prisoner of war boyfriend.
But their excruciating meeting in Kiev highlights the emotional scars of Vladimir Putin’s war.
Russian prisoner Evgeny Kovtkov, 34, is stunned and overwhelmed that Irina Krynina, 37, has traveled to him with her two daughters – only to discover she faces prison or death at the hands of Putin’s thugs if she returns.
She is shocked by his weight loss and his insistence that he wants to return to Russia, even as she tells him how he and his comrades have been used as cannon fodder by the Kremlin.
The pair have not been together since he was hired a year ago and first sent to the occupied nuclear city of Energodar before being forced to the front line at Bakhmut.
Russian woman Irina Krynina, 37, traveled to the Ukrainian capital Kiev for a reunion with her POW boyfriend Evgeny Kovtkov, 34
Evgeny Kovtkov, 34, fought for Putin for 10 months before he was captured
Evgeny was asked how he felt after his partner crossed enemy lines to find him. “Shocked,” he replied
Evgeny previously pictured with one of the couple’s two daughters
He was captured on July 7, and Irina accused Putin’s regime of “lies” about the POW exchanges – so without telling anyone, she negotiated with the Ukrainians to come to him herself.
But his first words to her when they met were a whisper: “What the f*** is that for?”
She admitted that “he’s not happy” after her 2,000-mile journey that saw her defeat the FSB security service to reach Ukraine.
Irina admitted: “This is what I was afraid of” – about his reaction.
He hugs her and the sessions are conducted on camera by prominent Ukrainian journalist Volodymyr Zolkin.
Despite plans from Ukraine for women, partners and mothers to come to the rescue of Russian men, Irina is the first to do so.
He asked her, “Why did you come here (to Ukraine)?”
She replied, “That’s what we’re going to talk about now.
“You’ve been in captivity for three months and you don’t know what’s going on in Russia.”
She made it clear: “Russia doesn’t care about those who died with you in Klishchiivka (where he was captured) or whether they are still rotting there.
“That they don’t say anything about you in captivity.”
He seemed genuinely shocked and asked, “Why?”
She asked, “Well, give me a hug….?”
Despite plans from Ukraine to have women, partners and mothers come to the rescue of Russian men, Irina is the first to do so
Russian mobilized soldier Evgeny Kovtkov (circled), captured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in July 2023
Evgeny (circled) insists he wants to return to Russia even after his partner told him he and his comrades were used as cannon fodder by the Kremlin
The POW – after fighting for Putin for 10 months before being captured – was asked what he thought about his partner crossing enemy lines to find him.
“Shocked,” he replied.
s’Can you imagine this?’
“No, I couldn’t.”
“What are your thoughts now?”
“No thoughts…I’m shocked this happened.”
“How do you evaluate her actions?”
‘A presentation.’
Irina told him that there is no way back for her as long as Putin remains in the Kremlin.
She wants him to help her make videos that tell the truth about the war, but it is unclear whether he agrees.
“To be clear, I came here knowing I had no way back to Russia,” she said.
“That is, I will either be imprisoned – this is the best case, and the worst will be what happened to (Wagner army boss Yevgeny) Prigozhin (died in a plane crash).”
He said he was aware of Progozhin’s fate, with many believing the mercenary chief was killed on the orders of his former protector, Putin.
Irina said: “So I took two children, one suitcase for three – and came here.
“To save you and stop the war.”
She admitted that “he’s not happy” after her 2,000-mile journey that saw her defeat the FSB security service to reach Ukraine.
The POW insisted he wanted to return to Russia, but admitted: “So far I don’t understand it at all.”
They also called their relatives in Russia and confirmed that he had not been tortured in Ukraine, a claim sometimes made by Putin’s subservient media.
Irina admitted in a separate interview that even if he returns to Russia, in a captivity of war, she cannot after fleeing to meet him.
“I’ll come back when Putin is gone,” she said.
In Russia, she came under the eye of the feared FSB security service – once led by Putin – after expressing anti-war messages on social media.
She told how Evgeny was “thrown at the artillery with only automatic weapons” – a common complaint about Putin’s “cannon fodder.”
“We are living a lie,” she said.
“I realized that our state, quite frankly, doesn’t care about the prisoners, the dead who are there for two months straight, they’re just not being picked up.”
It is unclear what will happen to the couple now.