Slovyansk "suspends" tender on medal purchase after Vilne Radio points out it features a video game character

Slovyansk city authorities “suspended” a tender to purchase medals featuring a video game character after being contacted by the Vilne Radio station, relocated from Bakhmut (Donetsk oblast. – Ed.), the media outlet reports on Facebook.

The team says that the Slovyansk City Military Administration (CMA) has announced a new award purchase tender, but this time with no mention of “Defender of Slovyansk” medals.

The media outlet reports that the old tender sought to purchase the awards “Defender of Slovyansk”, “Honorary Citizen” and “Together for Victory” for 460 thousand hryvnias. In contrast, the new tender announced on February 12 provides for 320 thousand hryvnias of expenditures and no longer lists a “Defender of Slovyansk” medal.

“The tender for the purchase of the 'Defender of Slovyansk' medals has been suspended. Additional changes will be made to the award's layout design to prevent situations like the one that occurred," the CMA added.

Battlefield 3 promo image, the released design, and a manufactured medal. Collage by Vilne Radio

The city administration says that the decree by the Slovyansk CMA chair mistakenly included an incorrect version of the medal design (featuring a character from a Battlefield 3 promo image. – Ed.) and that the awards that have already been manufactured are different from the released prototype.

“The approved sample of the 'Defender of Slovyansk' medal differs from the version published in error on the website. For example, the image on the medal features a different type of weapon and different glasses,” the CMA writes.

Vilne Radio reports that a photo of the medal with a case and a certificate is already available online. It does differ from the published design: the depicted soldier is holding an AK assault rifle and has different glasses on his helmet. However, for some reason, the printed certificate includes the design with the Battlefield 3 character, which the CMA claimed to have been “published in error.”

The administraton added that a total of 100 Defender of Slovyansk medals had already been purchased. No budget money was spent on the design of the medal.

“The sample of the medal was approved by the aforementioned decree based on the sketches proposed by the manufacturer company. The design was created free of charge. The criteria for awarding the medal, the awarding procedure, and the proposed designs were discussed at joint meetings with the military command,” the City Military Administration emphasized.

Earlier, Vilne Radio joined a silence campaign on February 11 and 12, when six independent media outlets in Donetsk oblast stopped content publication to show what the information space would look like without independent media.

Vilne Radio is hiring a Community Manager to build a connection between readers and the team and unite people who appreciate the work of the media oultet and understand its importance.