“The participants of the special military operation have allowed us to reach a new flagship level,” Anna Tsivilyova, deputy minister of defense and the daughter of President Vladimir Putin’s cousin, said Thursday at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, using the Kremlin’s euphemism for its war in Ukraine.
“We are probably leading in this field now. Neither China, the Asia-Pacific countries, nor European countries offer such a comprehensive service,” she added.
Tsivilyova referred to Russian war veterans as a “driving force through which the government began actively implementing those innovations and accumulated global expertise right here in our country.”
“Guys with double lower limb amputations stand on snowboards, on skis … play tennis, go rock climbing, mountaineering, ride bicycles, play guitars” and other sports, she explained. “I think that this is a huge leap in the field of prosthetics.”
Her comments were streamed on the forum’s website and first reported by the Telegram news channel Ostorozhno Novosti.
Despite Tsivilyova’s rosy outlook, various Russian independent media have reported on monthslong delays and other problems for injured soldiers who need prosthetics.