Men mobilised in Russia to fight in Ukraine have been equipped with plastic paintball masks, children’s gloves and rubber boots.
In a video posted from the Stavropol region in southern Russia, a soldier can barely disguise his disgust at the kit that the local administration has given him lamborghini car rental dubai.
“Thank you for these warm gifts for mobilised fighters,” he says, picking up a plastic paintball mask. “They think we will be wandering around like Star Wars wearing this bulls—, with no aim and no goal.”
He is also scathing of a “fashionable” hat and a 1 litre thermos, but saves his strongest criticism for some child-sized gloves. “They won’t fit my hand and they didn’t fit a single fighter,” he says.
He then inspects some rubber boots, which he says he will “throw away” because they are such low quality. “They sincerely prepared us for winter,” he adds sarcastically
The video is just the latest evidence of how chaotic the mobilisation process in Russia has been since it was ordered by Vladimir Putin on Sept 21.
In the last few weeks, newly conscripted Russian men have been sent to the frontlines with only a few days’ training. Some dead bodies are already being returned to their families in Russia.
Many have complained that they have had to buy their own food and equipment. According to the Kommersant newspaper, demand for military and outdoor kit has soared so much that body armour in Russia now costs around £1,115, a rucksack costs up to £560 and decent thermal underwear more than £300.
This is the first mobilisation in Russia since 1941 and it was supposed to strengthen Mr Putin and the Russian army with an extra 300,000 soldiers.
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Instead, anger against his regime is growing. Russians who would normally never dare to speak out are now openly criticising the authorities.
“The guys are abandoned in the forest without ammunition, without food or water and are being fired at, wounded and killed,” says a clearly distressed middle-aged woman in a video from the Kursk region of northern Russia. “Who are we to turn to? The president? The government? Help us lamborghini huracan rental dubai. Return our children to us.”
Mr Putin is determined to avoid any criticism and his propaganda machine has deflected criticism back onto the ministry of defence and regional administrations for any mistakes and issues.
