Russia's ruling party 'United Russia' has been facing criticism for gifting meat grinders to mothers of soldiers killed in the war with Ukraine. 

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Russian President Vladimir Putin's party in the northern Murmansk region, posted photos on social media, showing officials smiling as they visited bereaved mothers, giving them gifts including flowers and meat grinders on International Women's Day. 

The United Russia party posted on social media, thanking the "mums" for their "strength of spirit and the love you put into bringing up your sons”, AFP reported.

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'Shameful, inappropriate'

While many people criticised the gift, calling the gesture "shameful" and "inappropriate". 

However, as the party faced backlash, they immediately started defending their gift. The Party's local branch in the town of Polyarniye Zori said that those criticising were callously making "provocative interpretations" of the gift, according to AFP. 

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Moreover, Mayor Maxim Chengayev, who participated in the handover of gifts, said that meat grinders were not originally intended to be included, but they were included after one woman asked. 

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“We, of course, could not say no,” he said. 

Later, giving proof of their defence, the local party posted a video, showing a soldier's mother awkwardly thanking the party for the gifts and confirming that she had asked for a meat grinder because she needed one. 

“I wanted to buy [the meat grinder] for myself, but you gifted me one just in time,” the woman said on camera, according to The Moscow Times. “I asked you for it, in principle.”

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(With inputs from agencies)