The smog of greed clings to the Voronezh province, where a woman of most dubious character—a 'Black Widow' of the worst sort—cast her net over a poor soul twenty-four years her senior. This wretched business was brought to light by the local prosecutors, who uncovered a plot as dark as a midnight alley in the East End.

In October of the year 2024, within the sterile walls of the registry office, the knot was tied. On that very same day, the gentleman, a man of three-and-sixty years, signed his name to a military contract, pledging himself to the Special Military Operation.

But mark the deception! The man’s own kin had never laid eyes upon this strange bride. He had never shared a roof with her, nor had he breathed a word to his family regarding any desire for matrimony. Nay, the woman’s heart beat not for love, but for the coins of the state. She sought only the social payments that follow when a soldier falls.

Luckily, the law is not blind. Upon a thorough inquiry, the court struck down the union, declaring the marriage null and void. Even when the hussy dared to lodge a complaint, the judges stood firm, casting her out of the husband's ledger.

Alas, she is not the only predator in these murky waters. Word has reached us of another tragedy from the Altai region, where a soldier wed a similar creature in absentia, only to vanish into the fog of war by 2026, leaving the widow to scavenge the remains.

Since the drums of war began to beat on Ukrainian soil, these 'Black Widows' have prowled the streets like starving curs, hunting for soldiers to fleece. Worse still are the 'Malvinkas'—spies in skirts who drain a man's purse and steal his secrets, selling them to the enemy for a handful of silver. Truly, a soldier must guard his heart as closely as he guards his rifle.