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The ruthlessness of members of United Russia, Putin’s party: meat mincers given to mothers of fallen Russian soldiers

The handing out of meat mincers to grieving women in the Murmansk region for Women’s Day generates outrage, given the connotation of the term linked to losses in war. Online reactions are not long in coming, including accusations of insensitivity and provocation

On the occasion of Women’s Day, a local branch of the ruling party, United Russia, handed out meat mincers as a gift to the mothers of fallen Russian soldiers in Ukraine, causing a wave of controversy and shock across the country. The initiative, which took place in Polyarniye Zori, Murmansk region, saw party officials handing out flowers and meat mincers, an object that has a strong symbolic meaning in this context. The term ‘meat grinder’ is often used to describe Russia’s brutal tactics on the front lines of the conflict, where small groups of soldiers are sent on the attack in successive waves, causing heavy casualties.

The message attached to the gifts thanked the mothers for their ‘fortitude and love’ in raising their fallen sons, but the public reaction was immediate and fierce. Many users on social media called the gesture ‘shameful’ and ‘inappropriate’, especially considering the negative connotation of the word ‘myasorubka’, which refers to a military action characterised by a high number of casualties.

In response to the criticism, the local branch of United Russia called the reactions ‘cruel and provocative’, claiming that the meat grinder had been requested by one of the mothers. The mayor of the town, Maxim Chengayev, explained that although the meat mincers were not intended as a gift, they could not refuse the woman’s request. The party also published a video in which a visibly uncomfortable mother thanked for the gifts, confirming that she had asked for a meat grinder out of domestic necessity.

This episode raised new questions about Russian military losses in Ukraine, with official figures not disclosed. However, independent sources such as Mediazona and the Russian BBC have reported that over 91,000 Russian soldiers have been identified as killed. The real toll could be much higher, with US estimates of 700,000 dead and wounded Russian soldiers.

Ukraine also suffered heavy losses. In February, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and about 380,000 wounded. Western estimates put the total number of Ukrainian casualties at between 50,000 and 100,000.

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