President Vladimir Putin-led United Russia party invited criticism for gifting meat grinders to the mother of a soldier, who was killed in Ukraine. The gift was presented on International Women’s Day.
United Russia’s Murmansk local chapter secretary Anna Makhunova and Polyarnye Zori Mayor Maskim Chengayev handed over the meat grinder and other household appliances along with bouquets as part of the “Flowers for the Mothers of Heroes” campaign, New York Post reported, citing photographs shared on the party’s social media account on Wednesday.
The kitchen appliance became a “grim symbol” of the Russian military’s ongoing campaign in Ukraine, reported The Moscow Times. Earlier, the Wagner mercenary group honoured its fighters with the ‘Bakhmut Meat Grinder’ medals.
The latest gesture came under heavy criticism from activist Violetta Grudina, who does not believe that the “grief-stricken” mothers asked the ruling party for a meat grinder “in exchange for their dead son”. “They don’t need anything anymore,” Ms Grudina wrote on Telegram.
The activist highlighted that the party went on to disable comments on the post after it was slammed for the “inappropriate” gifts.
Post the backlash, the Murmansk regional branch of United Russia shared a video of one of the mothers of killed soldiers thanking them for the meat grinder. Calling it a “timely” gift, the woman said she “wanted to buy” the meat grinder, adding, “I asked you for it, in principle.”
The meat grinder, which one soldier’s mother received, was not “part of the standard set, but the woman requested it, and of course, we couldn’t refuse,” Russian news outlet Meduza quoted Mayor Maxim Chengayev as saying.
The ruling party added the gesture was being misrepresented, urging all to not support “inhumane and provocative interpretations.”
This comes days after billionaire Elon Musk, special advisor to US President Donald Trump, accused “evil” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of prolonging the war with Russia. The world’s richest person called it a “never-ending graft meat grinder.”
“Zelensky wants a forever war, a never-ending graft meat grinder. This is evil,” Mr Musk wrote on X.
Zelensky wants a forever war, a never-ending graft meat grinder. This is evil. https://t.co/FVaEkIm7Gq
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 3, 2025
This came after US President Donald Trump had a heated exchange with his Ukrainian counterpart during a press briefing at the Oval Office. Mr Zelensky was reportedly asked to leave the white House after the briefing.
Trump, who pushed Mr Zelensky to consider options of a ceasefire and other ways to end the war with Vladimir Putin’s Russia, has since suspended military aid to Ukraine.