Russian ruling party faces backlash for gifting meat grinder to mother of soldier killed in Ukraine war
Members of Russiaâs ruling party are under fire after bizarrely gifting a meat grinder to the mother of a soldier killed in Ukraine as part of an International Womenâs Day campaign, according to reports.
The meat grinder â along with other household appliances and floral bouquets â were presented by Anna Makhunova, United Russiaâs Murmansk local chapter secretary, and Polyarnye Zori Mayor Maskim Chengayev as part of a âFlowers for the Mothers of Heroesâ campaign, according to photos published on the partyâs social media account Wednesday, the Moscow Times reported.
The post quickly drew backlash from users who argued that the gesture was insensitive.
âI will never believe that grief-stricken mothers asked United Russia for a meat grinder, fâ hell, in exchange for their dead son. They donât need anything anymore,â activist Violetta Grudina wrote on Telegram.
United Russia promptly disabled comments on the post given the outrage, she noted.
Shortly afterward, the partyâs Murmansk regional branch responded by publishing a video of one of the mothers beside the gifted vase of flowers thanking United Russia for the meat grinder.
âI wanted to buy [the meat grinder] for myself, but you gifted me one just in time,â she said, according to the outlet.
The party also posted on social media urging the public ânot to support inhumane and provocative interpretationsâ of the gifts.
Chengayev added that the campaign also gave many other kinds of household appliances, Russian outlet Meduza reported.
âThe meat grinder was not part of the standard gift set, but one woman asked for it, and of course [party members] could not refuse her,â he said.
Meat grinders have become a symbol of the Russian militaryâs high-casualty assaults in the three-year-long Ukraine war, as the Wagner mercenary group had previously awarded âBakhmut Meat Grinderâ medals to its fighters, the Moscow Times noted.
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