Summary
Officials from Putin’s United Russia party in Murmansk gave meat grinders to mothers of soldiers killed in Ukraine during International Women’s Day.

The gift choice drew criticism as “shameful” and “inappropriate” because the term “meat grinder” (myasorubka) is commonly used to describe Russia’s brutal frontline tactics of sending waves of soldiers into battle with high casualty rates.

Party officials defended themselves, claiming one mother specifically requested a meat grinder.

Russia rarely discloses casualty figures, but independent sources have identified at least 91,000 Russian soldiers killed, with US estimates suggesting 700,000 killed or wounded. Ukraine has reported over 46,000 of its soldiers killed.