As Ukrainians are preparing to defend their towns from the invasion of Vladimir Putin’s troops, a Ukrainian brewery started making Molotov cocktails.
Pravda Brewery in Lviv said they had switched production from beer to the makeshift firebombs using bottles of its artisan beer called ‘Putin is a d***head’.
The production – which the brewery said is being aided by locals – follows calls from Ukraine’s President Zelensky for civilians to engage Russian troops with guerilla warfare when they enter cities like Lviv and capital Kyiv.
After the 2014 Russian annexation in Crimea, the name of the Belgian Strong Golden Ale 8% was inspired by a popular Ukrainian football chant.
Pravda Brewery in Lviv is producing Molotov cocktails that residents can use to fight invading Russian troops. The labels on the bottle read ‘Putin is a d***head’
Following President Zelensky’s call for citizens to engage Russian troops using guerilla warfare in cities, the production is now complete
A case of 24 330ml bottles of the ale costs 979 Ukrainian hryvnia (£23.30) from the brewery in the western city of Lviv.
BBC News interviewed Arina, a teacher who said that she didn’t think this would be how her students would spend their weekend.
“No one thought this but we are doing it now and it seems like the best thing to do right now.”
“We don’t have the luxury of living our everyday lives. If we want to be safe, then we must do something.”
Named after a Ukrainian soccer chant, the Belgian Strong Golden Ale 8% was inspired by the Russian dictator’s 2014 annexe of Crimea. On the label, a graphic depicts a naked Vladimir Putin seated on a throne with a nuclear bomb. He is surrounded by weapons as well as oil wells.
While resisting Russian occupiers, Ukrainians have been preparing for prolonged guerilla war in their cities.
Molotov cocktails, improvised incendiary explosive bombs that were thrown together by a group of people in Finland after Vyacheslav Molotov (Soviet foreign minister) in World War Two.
Molotov cocktails can be described as improvised explosive bombs. They were named by the Finnish soldiers after Vyacheslav Molotov, Soviet foreign minister who claimed bombing missions in Finland were food drops.
The petrol bombs, which they used against Soviet tanks, were then named by the Finns in a sarcastic way after the communist politician.
These are made from broken glass bottles that have been filled with petrol or other flammable liquids. Then they’re covered with cloth and lit.
The bottles will shatter on impact and explode into a fiery ball.
Ukrainians may have even tried to put shredded styrofoam into bombs, which could help flames stick to the targets.