A civilian lights a Molotov cocktail amid Russian attacks in Lviv, Ukraine, on March 8, 2022. Photo: Getty Images
Opinion
Opinion
Language Matters
by Lisa Lim
Why Molotov cocktails in Russia-Ukraine war have been given new names
Also known as petrol bombs, bottle bombs and poor man’s grenades, Molotov cocktails were named after Russia’s foreign minister amid the first Russo-Finnish war
New wars bring new words, and Ukrainians are shunning the Soviet reference for two new names better suited for their resistance efforts