The Russian army has been beset by logistical problems throughout its month long invasion of Ukraine. Reports have frequently emerged of Russian troops running dangerously low on food and other supplies, as they come up against fierce Ukrainian resistance. Now it seems that the Russian leader has ordered school children as young as eight to help feed the struggling Russian army.
Children from a school in Rostov-on-Don received written instructions to put together food parcels for soldiers in the 22nd Special Forces Brigade.
Items on the shopping list included one kilogram of sweets, two to three pieces of chocolate, one can of sweet condensed milk, three packets of dried fruit, as well as coffee and tea.
In addition, the youngsters were asked to send two pairs of socks and razor blades for shaving.
The kids had to write on their parcels: “A sweet gift to our Russian-hero soldiers.”
They were also told to send a letter with their parcel, thanking the soldiers for their deeds.
Lyubov Sobol, a leading anti-corruption campaigner and colleague of Alexey Navalny, posted a photo of the form to her Twitter account.
She wondered why it was the Kremlin could not afford to feed its troops, having spent 3.5 trillion rubles (GBP 26 billion at today’s rate) on defence in 2022.
The activist wrote: “At school № 61 in Rostov-on-Don, eight-year-old children (!) collect essential items for Russian soldiers.
“Last year, the government planned to spend 3.5 trillion rubles from the federal budget on defence in 2022.
“Where is the money going? Spent on Putin’s yacht?”
Reports continue to circulate of Russian soldiers desperately searching for food.
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It comes amid reports from US Defence officials that the Ukraine army has launched a counterattack to recapture the vital port city of Kherson, located near to the Crimea in the Ukraine’s south.
A Twitter user with the handle AS74 claimed victory over the Russians was within sight.
They wrote: “Kherson. According to our information, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are already very close.
“The Russian army is gradually beginning to be squeezed out of the city.
“We cannot reveal all the details, but soon Kherson will be cleared of Russians.
“The Russian military no longer has control over the city, and soon it will be littered with their corpses.”