Mikhail Tarasenko, a deceased deputy in Russia’s State Duma, was reported to have participated in eleven legislative votes on Tuesday, the same day he died. Despite his “serious illness,” Tarasenko’s voting record included support for measures such as allowing widows of fallen servicemen to use their late husbands’ vehicles. It is likely that these votes were cast by colleagues using his voting card, a practice previously observed with ill deputies. Tarasenko, a long-standing member of the United Russia party, had served in the Duma since 2007.
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In a controversial move, Russia’s United Russia party gifted meat grinders to mothers of fallen soldiers, a gesture widely criticized online due to the term’s association with Russia’s brutal war tactics in Ukraine. The party defended the gifts, claiming a mother requested one, but the action sparked outrage given the high death toll among Russian soldiers, estimated by independent sources to be at least tens of thousands. The double meaning of “meat grinder” highlighting the callous disregard for human life in the conflict fueled the public backlash. The party’s explanation, however, is contradicted by numerous reports indicating significant Russian casualties in the war.
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