The ruling party of Russian President Vladimir Putin made a controversial move on International Women’s Day by giving “meat grinders” as gifts to mothers of soldiers who died in Ukraine. The term “meat grinder” in Russian also signifies “sending soldiers to the front lines disregarding their lives.” Local officials of Putin’s party faced backlash due to this action.

Officials from Putin’s United Russia Party set off a debate by conducting a campaign on International Women’s Day. Russian officials visited mothers of deceased Russian soldiers in the Northern Murmansk region on March 8. Through a campaign called “Flowers for the Mothers of Heroes,” mothers mourning their sons were given meat grinders as gifts. When local politicians shared pictures of the moments on social media, criticism quickly ensued. Russian users criticized the campaign as “shameful” and “inappropriate.” Putin has been accused of sending soldiers to the “meat grinder” by disregarding their lives in the Ukraine War.

“MEAT GRINDER STRATEGY” The tactic of constantly sending soldiers to the front lines to weaken Ukrainian forces is referred to as the “meat grinder strategy” by the Russian military. Reports in Western media indicate that due to this strategy, Moscow has lost over 50 soldiers for every square kilometer of land captured in Ukraine. As the fourth year of the Ukraine War unfolds, the exact number of Russian casualties remains unknown. Estimates suggest that around 700,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured in combat by the end of 2024, according to data shared by the United States.