Possible only in Russia - war widows received meat grinders as Women's Day gifts

Teet Kalmus, an Estonian war analyst, reports that activists from Russia’s ruling party, United Russia, marked International Women’s Day on March 8 by giving electric meat grinders as gifts to widows and mothers of soldiers killed in the war.

In the Murmansk region, United Russia activists decided to honor the families of fallen soldiers by presenting them with these appliances. Notably, in Russian military slang, the word "meat grinder" ("mjasorubka") is also used to describe the brutal loss of soldiers on the battlefield.

The frontline situation: a real "meat grinder"

The current situation on the battlefield for the Russian army is indeed a "meat grinder." For example, in the Pokrovske direction, Ukrainian forces have reclaimed territory in five locations and have even reportedly attacked Shevchenko, a site known for its rare earth metal deposits.

On the Russian side, war blogger Dmitriev, a former Odessa resident before the invasion, highlighted Russia’s struggles. According to him, Ukraine previously had a 6:1 advantage in drones, but this has now increased to 10:1. The Ukrainians are using not just racing drones but also large quadcopters (such as the "Baba Yaga," now deployed even during the daytime), long-range attack drones, and relay drones that allow them to operate up to 20 kilometers from the front.

Dmitriev claims that Russia’s main issue isn’t just a lack of drones—although Ukraine does have the edge there—but rather a shortage of trained drone operators. Russian commanders treat their soldiers as expendable, leading many trained drone operators to avoid deployment by continuously enrolling in additional training courses. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian drone unit K-2 reportedly received 9,500 applications for drone operator positions in just one week.

Due to the high number of drones on both sides, launching a drone just a few kilometers from the front line is nearly impossible without immediate counterattacks. Survival now depends on effective camouflage.

Artillery problems in the Russian army

Another Russian war blogger, "Voenkor Kotenjok," has detailed issues with Russia’s artillery capabilities. Firstly, there is a severe shortage of ammunition, with some howitzers receiving only four to five shells per day.

Secondly, there are problems with Russia’s self-propelled artillery system, the "Koalitsiya," which was promoted as a superior response to Western truck-mounted artillery. However, in reality, it has a shorter range than its Western counterparts and an alarming accuracy issue—with a deviation of up to 900 meters. The blogger noted with frustration that the more electronics were added to this artillery system, the less accurate it became.