Story By: Feza Uzay, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency:  Newsflash

This is the moment a Russian councillor puts her 10-year-old son behind the wheel of her car and lets him drive on an icy road before sharing the footage online.

The councillor in question is Svetlana Malashkova, the deputy for the district of Gatchinsky in Russia’s Leningrad Oblast region, of which Saint Petersburg is the capital.

She belongs to the right-wing populist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia and was elected to her current position in 2019. She previously worked in the police.

After apparently filming her underage son behind the wheel, she posted the footage on Instagram on 28th November and immediately faced a backlash from netizens.

In the footage, Malashkova is heard praising her son and giving him advice on how best to avoid bumps, after which she turns to ask her subscribers: “At what age did you get behind the wheel?”

She is also heard saying that she and her son decided to drive to the market on a snow-covered road close to a forest.

At one point, the boy is seen noticing another car, getting scared, and taking his hand off the wheel. Malashkova is heard laughing and reassures her son, saying: “I’ll help you, don’t be afraid.”

After receiving heavy criticism, Malashkova deleted the video, sarcastically commenting: “How come a deputy let her 10-year-old son take the steering wheel on an empty village road! This is the crime of the century, damn it! We urgently need her to be judged!”

She added: “I don’t support those who drive like this in the city, but I’m not at all against letting children drive on a country road, away from the main roads, under parental control.”

A charge has reportedly been drawn up against Malashkova for violating traffic laws. She will reportedly have to pay a fine of just RUB 3,000 (GBP 30).