Russian supermarket faces backlash after pulling lesbian couple advert

VkusVill apologises for promotion, saying it had hurt the feelings' of customers and staff

An upmarket Russian supermarket chain has issued a public apology after it posted an advert featuring a lesbian couple who shopped at its store.

VkusVill's decision to pull the ad has provoked an angry backlash from Moscow liberals and other Russian LGBTQ allies, who have criticised the supermarket chain's cowardice" and said they would be boycotting the store.