A video recording of a Russian soldier cursing while trying to wrap his leg in a rag instead of a sock became a reason for new ironies against the Ukrainian army.

“F..ugh. How to wear those damn capes? The 21st century is this… and we fight the way our grandfathers fought,” says a Russian soldier, while another soldier films him laughing, according to a video released by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

The soldier, who didn’t take the rags, cloths wrapped around his feet to prevent blisters, continues to curse as he tries to get his foot through the ice.

The “Second World Army” values ​​its historical traditions. A strategic supply of bandages was released for mobilization. Maybe this is a secret weapon of the Russian army?”, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine noted on its Twitter page.

In fact, these portyanki (cotton for summer, finete for winter), which have been part of the standard equipment of Russian soldiers since the time of Peter the Great, were supposed to be phased out by 2013, according to The Guardian.

Partially abandoned during the military reforms of 2007, portyankas were finally to come to an end when Defense Minister Serhiy Shoigu ordered that “by the end of 2013… we must finally completely abandon this concept in our armed forces.”

Widespread before the Industrial Revolution, canvases were extremely practical: much cheaper than socks, quicker and easier to wash, dry and mend, and (provided they were tied properly) fit the bill.