Russian tank maker publishes 'patriotic' children's book

The Uralvagonzavod factory in Nizhny Tagil started operating in the 1930s

One of Russia's largest defence companies has published a book about its tanks for children of pre-school age.

The illustrated story, Adventures of the Little Tank, follows a toy that's been accidentally left behind overnight in the museum of defence manufacturer Uralvagonzavod. The forgotten little tank spends the night meeting the facility's full-size machines and hearing all about their "adventures" in foreign lands, the company says.

Penned by well-known children's author Svetlana Lavrova, the book "tells pre-school children about awe-inspiring combat vehicles in an accessible and absorbing way," it says, adding that it believes the project will instil patriotism and encourage an interest in engineering among youngsters.

Uralvagonzavod has been producing combat vehicles in the Urals city of Nizhny Tagil for 80 years. It's not the company's first foray into children's books, though. It previously published one aimed at teenagers which is now found in school libraries in the area, and has just released a follow up for the same age group.

Many social media users who shared the news felt the idea was absurd, with one suggesting that it's "time to propose something peaceful to our children". Another shared a cartoon of President Vladimir Putin reading the book to a crying German Chancellor Angela Merkel: "And then the little tank decided to go to Berlin."

But it doesn't seem to have raised quite as many eyebrows as another military-themed children's product unveiled by a different company in October - a cot in the shape of a Buk anti-aircraft missile launcher of the type which downed a plane over east Ukraine in 2014.

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