Russian mothers given controversial gifts amid war losses
Local politicians from United Russia, the ruling party, presented meat grinders to the mothers of soldiers killed in Ukraine. This initiative was conceived by party activists in the Murmansk region in northwestern Russia, reported the independent portal Mediazona, citing the group's announcement on social media.
The gifts were given for International Women's Day as part of the "flowers for mothers of heroes" campaign. Photos shared by the donors show that women also received grills and bread makers, Mediazona reported.
Since World War II, the Russian military command has used a tactic known as the "meat grinder." It involves overwhelming the opponent with the mass of one's own soldiers, even if it results in immediate and significant losses. Thus, many commentators believe that giving such gifts to mothers of servicemen killed at the front is inappropriate.
In response to media coverage and negative comments online, the initiators of the campaign appealed to "avoid inhumane and provocative interpretations" about the gifts.
They also posted a statement on social media from one of the mothers, stating that she had personally requested the meat grinder. Politicians also claimed that they provide the families of veterans and the fallen with "support and assistance, with respect and understanding."
Thousands of fallen Russian soldiers
The BBC portal and the Russian independent portal Mediazona verified 90,000 deaths of Russian soldiers since the attack on Ukraine in 2022. Experts estimate that the total number of casualties ranges from 159,000 to 223,000.
The BBC portal notes that Moscow rarely comments on its losses in the so-called special military operation. However, data collected by volunteers indicates that 15,300 prisoners, 20,600 volunteers, 15,600 contract soldiers, 10,500 mobilized soldiers, and 2,400 mercenaries have died.
The average age of those who fell last year was 36, which is older than during the first two years of the war. Most of the dead came from the republics of Bashkiria (3,932) and Tatarstan (3,804). The BBC reports that among the fallen from Bashkiria, eight out of ten were from small communities: villages or towns with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants.
It is estimated that the verified figures represent only half of the actual number of casualties. This suggests that in reality, between 135,000 and 200,000 Russian soldiers have fallen.
