Ruslan Bolotov, the mayor of Irkutsk, wrote on his Telegram channel that staff at the city's perinatal center decided the containers should be reused if there was a way to do so.
Bolotov said the military turns the cans into trench candles and stores grain and sugar in them. "The material is good, you can make trench candles out of it, and the container is also suitable for storing grain, sugar and whatever you want," the mayor said.
According to Bolotov, the cans have been sent to the front line for two years, with several batches shipped over that period. The Moscow Times reported his statement, citing the mayor's message.
The mayor also said that children and grandchildren of the perinatal center's staff are enlisted to write letters to soldiers. They draw postcards and send warm wishes for a speedy return home to the front.
According to conservative estimates by Mediazona and the BBC, 1,067 people born in Irkutsk have been identified by name as killed at the front since the war began. Total confirmed losses for the Irkutsk region stand at 6,550 people. The Moscow Times notes that with the city's working-age male population at about 165,000, losses among Irkutsk residents in that category amount to roughly 0.65%.
The Levada Center reported that over the past year the share of Russians donating money or goods to help participants in the war has fallen markedly. While 42% did so in September last year, the figure dropped to 28% this August. The level was lower only in December 2022, at 27%.