‘Putin toilet roll’ sparks storm in Crimea

It’s not every day a type of toilet paper ruffles a few diplomatic feathers, but one brand in particular has caused some controversy in Crimea.

The V.V. brand toilet paper – made by the Simferopol Paper Mill - has been criticized by customers in Simferopol for sharing the same initials as Russian President Putin’s first two names, Vladimir Vladimirovich, Radio Free Europe reported this week.

Crimea's Russian majority are perceived to be strongly loyal to Moscow.

According to BBC, citing Sevastopol News newspaper, users were “outraged” that the roll brandishes an outline of the Crimean peninsula, “the implication being that the map would be put to a potentially disrespectful purpose,” the BBC added.