North Ossetian activists condemn singer’s comments about ‘unfaithful wives of soldiers’
Activists in North Ossetia have approached law enforcement agencies demanding a legal assessment of statements made by singer Oksana Dzhelieva suggesting that the wives of Russian soldiers fighting in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine were ‘unfaithful’.
The demand follows the circulation of social media videos and song snippets in which the performer reportedly called soldiers’ wives ‘unfaithful’. The authors of the petition believe such remarks damage the honour and dignity of not only the women but the soldiers themselves.
‘They go out in long skirts and sleep around left, right, and centre. Are you fucking kidding me? You call yourselves wives, out on the town day and night, for goodness’ sake, while they’re sending you fucking money from the frontline’, the widely-shared excerpt read.
Particular attention was drawn to Dzhelieva’s words by Kirill Maksimkin, a Moscow-based ‘political scientist’ who recorded a video from the State Duma.
‘This is not merely unacceptable; it is an insult to everyone standing on the frontline. To ensure such remarks do not go unpunished, it is necessary to conduct a legal expert review and take measures so that such citizens can no longer publicly voice these thoughts within our country,’ Maksimkin stated.
Maksimkin has previously appeared in North Ossetia’s media space. In March, he proposed fines for ‘incorrect’ social media content, claiming that ‘many residents of North Ossetia’ had contacted him, alleging that ‘many bloggers and young women are violating traditional values’.
‘If bloggers and young women are not prepared to respect the traditions of North Ossetia due to a sense of impunity and entitlement, then it is necessary to amend the code of administrative offences and impose heavy fines ranging from ₽50,000 to 100,000 ($650-1,300),’ Maksimkin declared.
Maksimkin addressed his appeal to Soslan Didarov, a local MP and well-known ‘defender of traditional values in Ossetia’. Didarov did not respond publicly.
Oksana Dzhelieva’s words were also sharply criticised by Gayana Kalagova, an Ossetian field medic who has been participating in the war since 2022. In a video recorded from the frontline, she emphasised that the families of soldiers require support, not public insults. According to her, the wives of the war participants play a vital role in securing the home front while waiting for their loved ones to return.
‘Be so kind as to go on air and apologise to all the wives of those in the special military operation. The soldiers are not impressed by your outfits or your concert videos either. We remain silent and ask ourselves: we are here, so it seems they’re having a grand old time there’, Kalagova said.
Dzhelieva herself responded to the accusations, stating that her words were ‘taken out of context’ and that she did not mean all wives, but only ‘certain individuals’. Furthermore, some of her colleagues and fans have posted messages of support using the hashtag #OksanaWeAreWithYou.
Dzhelieva has nearly 300,000 followers on Instagram. She is known for her provocative outfits, and in September 2025, Russian journalist Ksenia Sobchak highlighted a video Dzhelieva posted showing her 13-year-old son behind the wheel of a car. It remains unknown whether any sanctions were imposed following that incident.
