Vladimir Putin Gifts Fur Coats To The Wives Of Fallen Russian Soldiers As Compensation For Their Husbands' Deaths In Ukraine
Feb. 10 2023, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Vladimir Putin recently gifted fur coats to the widows of fallen Russian soldiers as compensation for the loss of their husbands’ lives on the frontlines of Ukraine, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a startling development to come nearly one full year after Putin’s “special military operation” in Ukraine was first launched, at least 200,000 Russian soldiers are estimated to have died in the ongoing conflict.
But according to Daily Star, the 70-year-old Russian leader has seemingly attempted to make up for the loss of Russian life by providing new fur coats to those whose loved ones have died in the bloody and drawn-out war.
"Widows were given 21 fur coats as compensation for the breadwinner who died in Ukraine,” one Russian outlet shared on Telegram alongside a photo showing at least 21 Russian widows in the Ukrainian city of Makiivka.
Even more surprising was the reaction from the widows who, according to the video posted to Telegram, were “very grateful” to Putin for the fur coats and for providing “some unexpected help today.”
"Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts,” one widow said in a message presumably for Putin. “Thank you for taking care of us.”
“At such moments you feel that we are one family,” added Yevgeny Skripnik, the Russian man believed to have taken the video.
Elsewhere, such as on the Russian island Sakhalin, the widows of Russian soldiers who died in Ukraine were reportedly gifted frozen fish for the loss of their husbands.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Putin’s potential PR stunt of gifting Russian widows fur coats and frozen fish came just weeks after the leader was caught staging a meeting with a group of alleged pro-Putin loyalists who lost both sons and husbands in the war against Ukraine.
"I would like you to know that, that I personally, and the whole leadership of the country — we share your pain," Putin told the women during the meeting at his personal residence in Moscow in November.
"We understand that nothing can replace the loss of a son — especially for a mother," Putin continued. "We share this pain."
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Shortly after Putin’s meeting with the mothers and wives of fallen Russian soldiers aired on Russian state TV, the media was quick to realize the majority of the women featured in the video were well-known Putin loyalists who may not have even had sons or husbands fighting in Ukraine at all.
Those who condemned Putin and protested against his ongoing war against Ukraine were reportedly barred from attending the November meeting.