School children from Karelia tried on body armor with patches 'Cargo 200 we are together' and 'My coffin still rustles in the woods.' The post was published in the local administration’s VK group and noticed by the Telegram channel 'Karelia and I' on April 26.
On April 16, a participant in the war in Ukraine brought in body armor to a meeting with children at Kostomuksha School №2. Patches on the gear featured the Wagner PMC symbol and the motto 'Cargo 200 we are together,' which is also associated with this military group. The term 'Cargo 200' itself is a code word referring to the transportation of military fatalities. The deceased leader of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, used to wear a similar patch.
According to the officials’ report, the war participant 'allowed children to experience the soldiers’ burden firsthand and participate in the evacuation of wounded from the battlefield.'
After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, war propaganda has intensified in Russian schools. For example, in March 2024, several regional schools started holding lessons about Ukraine based on Vladimir Putin’s interview with the US journalist Tucker Carlson. During a patriotism lesson in Buryatia, children were given a PMC Wagner flag with the inscription 'Nothing personal, we got paid for it.'