An advertisement for a charity concert in Russia this weekend informed potential attendees that funds raised would go towards body bags for troops fighting in Ukraine, it has been reported.
The Russian news outlet Sirena reported how an Instagram flyer was promoting an event in Blagoveshchensk, in the Amur oblast in Russia's far east, on Saturday.
The ad on the Instagram account of Amur Life was titled "in support of the guys in the SMO (special military operation) zone," using the official term for Moscow's full-scale invasion. "Blagoveshchensk residents are invited to a charity concert in support of the participants in the SMO," read the message superimposed over a graphic of a soldier.
Next to the advertisement was a post which described what the money raised at the event would be used for.
Among the military needs were pillows, mosquito repellents, wet wipes, thermoses, clothes and medicines. The funds would also help purchase garbage bags and body bags, according to Sirena, which shared a screen grab of the post.
However, the outlet said that the post was later edited to exclude these items and the most recent post next to the flyer simply tries to encourage people to come to the event which will run between 6 p.m. and 8.45 p.m.
There would be rock groups, a dance ensemble, sports displays, as well as a puppet show. Balloons in the colors of the Russian flag would be distributed and people would be encouraged to write messages of support for troops on postcards.
The concert organizer, Igor Memetov, said that there would be a fundraising box near the stage. Newsweek has contacted Amur Life for comment.
Since the start of the war, Russian troops and their families have complained of a lack of basic equipment for those fighting in Ukraine. There are reports that newly mobilized men are buying everything from thermal underwear to body armor.
In October 2022, a month after Vladimir Putin declared a partial mobilization of troops, the Kremlin admitted there were problems giving adequate equipment to hundreds of thousands of men.
There have also been numerous reports of low morale among Russian forces with soldiers posting video messages complaining of poor command structures. Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said this month that growing insubordination among Russian commanders was spreading among troops.
The assessment followed the dismissal of 58th Combined Arms Army Commander Colonel General Ivan Popov, after he complained directly to Putin in a message in which he criticized conditions on the frontline.
