News
According to a VKontakte group post by the Tikhvin district administration in the Leningrad Region, on February 23rd, families of soldiers killed in action during the Ukraine war were gifted shaving foam and shampoo kits as a form of congratulatory gesture.
The report says: “On Defender of the Fatherland Day, it is fitting to pay tribute not only to our soldiers and officers, but also to their families who await their return with unwavering faith and prayer, and who bravely bear the burden of tragic news… Local officials today have extended their congratulations to the families of Tikhvin soldiers who lost their lives at the airfield.” The post is accompanied with photos in which an administration representative, donning a mink coat and an orange waistcoat inscribed with “We are together,” presents gift packages to the grieving relatives.
In February, a video went viral on social media and news outlets depicting widows of Donbas residents who had lost their lives in the war receiving fur coats as presents. However, it was later revealed that not all of the women in the video were actually widows of the deceased, and the fur coats were confiscated from all of them after the filming.