'Orcas hunt these bears' — Putin says children should learn the 'food chain' to understand Russia's war

Russian President Vladimir Putin used the image of orcas hunting polar bears as a metaphor for his country's war against Ukraine during a speech to students and teachers at a Moscow university on August 29. The remarks followed a series of continuous air raid alerts in Ukraine, with Russia launching repeated attacks that resulted in at least 37 deaths in Kyiv Oblast on August 28, and two additional fatalities in separate attacks on August 29.

When asked about polar bears in the North Pole, a visiting teacher from Russia's Belgorod region mentioned seeing two large bears, prompting Putin to comment that orcas live nearby and prey on those bears. He then stated that children should learn about the food chain to understand the world they live in and the reasons behind the ongoing "special military operation" in Ukraine.

The bear has been a recurring symbol in Putin's rhetoric about Russia's conflict with the West, with him comparing Russia to a bear that the West is trying to control and ultimately destroy.