Russian mother puts child in vacuum bag, then sucks the air out for social media stunt

A popular Russian parenting blogger filmed herself using a pump to suck the air out of a vacuum-sealed plastic bag with her son inside.

In the video, Anna Saparina, a 36-year-old blogger from the southern Russian city of Saratov, places her son inside a large plastic vacuum bag and then uses a pump to remove the air. The child remained inside for only a few seconds before crying out for help.

The video was titled, “When I’m on sick leave for 3 weeks …”

Saparina runs a popular channel about motherhood and regularly posts videos about family life, which often receive millions of views.

The footage spread quickly across Russian social media platforms, prompting a wave of criticism from users who said the stunt posed an obvious threat to the boy’s life and health.

Local media, including the Russian news site Life, reported on Sunday that child protection services are calling for the mom-blogger to be investigated.