A Russian realtor has come under fire after joking that women can buy property by marrying soldiers who die in combat fighting in Ukraine.

Marina Orlova, a real estate agent from Tomsk, made the controversial remark during a podcast. When asked how a woman over 30 could afford an apartment, she replied:

“It’s simple. Find a man in the military, he dies, and you get eight million.”

She claimed that many women already date men in the Russian Armed Forces for this purpose, using death compensation to buy cheap apartments.

After the video went viral, Orlova backtracked.

She called it “black humor” that shouldn’t have been made public in a conversation with The Rise media outlet. She said she started receiving threats, shut down her social media, and is now facing calls for an official investigation.

Advertisement

“I woke up today and was shocked that the girl who recorded the podcast posted it. We were having a friendly conversation, and it wasn’t meant for the public. The cameras were on, but that didn’t mean everything had to be shared,” Orlova said. 

“It was just a joke between friends. Yes, I understand it was black humor, but that kind of humor can exist between friends. Of course, I never intended to hurt anyone.” 

State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov has urged authorities to take action, while the activist of the pro-war Telegram group “Call of the People“ [Zov Naroda] is pressuring Russia’s Investigative Committee to look into her statements.

EU: No More Protection for Ukrainian Men?
Other Topics of Interest

EU: No More Protection for Ukrainian Men?

The European Commission plans to amend the rules on the admission of Ukrainian war refugees from spring 2027, and has proposed that Ukrainian men of military age who arrive in the EU should no longer be automatically entitled to protection, although
To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter