Kathrine Frich
As the war in Ukraine grinds on, symbols of violence are increasingly seeping into everyday Russian life.
From patriotic board games to children’s military parades, efforts to glorify combat have become part of Moscow’s broader push to shape young minds.
The latest example has sparked outrage abroad, toy drones designed to imitate the deadly weapons that continue to strike Ukrainian cities.
Toys of destruction
The controversial toys, sold on the Russian retail platform Ozon, are miniature replicas of Shahed drones, the same Iranian-designed kamikaze aircraft used by Russian forces in Ukraine.
Marketed as gifts for “young patriots,” the styrofoam models can even be fitted with small firecrackers that explode on impact.
Promotional videos show the toys gliding through the air before striking the ground in bursts of sparks.
The packaging closely resembles that of Stalin’s Falcons, a secretive Russian drone unit whose name appears in the product’s description.
The manufacturer claims the toys provide a “fascinating historical experience” and help children develop “coordination and imagination.”
They are advertised as suitable for children as young as three years old.
A culture of militarisation
The release of the drone toys is part of what analysts describe as a growing campaign to normalise militarism among Russia’s youth.
Similar initiatives have included patriotic lessons in schools and the revival of Soviet-era youth movements under the supervision of the Defence Ministry.
Some reviewers on Ozon praised the product, calling it “a cool toy” and noting that their children were “delighted.”
Others asked when larger models or replicas of Ukrainian cities would be available to “make practice attacks more realistic.”
Such comments have fuelled concern among educators and psychologists, who warn that the line between play and propaganda is being deliberately blurred.
Retailer response
Ozon, often described as Russia’s equivalent of Amazon, said it does not specialise in military products and that sellers are responsible for ensuring their goods meet safety standards.
“Any seller can offer their goods on our platform, provided that their sale is not prohibited under Russian law,” the company told The Telegraph.
The retailer added that it verifies all certificates for children’s products and monitors listings for flammable or unsafe materials.
However, it declined to explain how items replicating military drones had passed the review process.
Sources: The Sun, The Telegraph, BBC, Reuters, United 24
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, who may have used AI in the preparation
