In Russia, the failures of the Russian army are actively discussed, and this is no longer a “gesture of goodwill”, but something worse. The Kremlin is ready to admit defeat in the war, but under certain conditions.
The Kremlin has admitted failure in Kharkiv region and is preparing to admit a possible defeat in the war – ISW” />
Kremlin officials and propagandists for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale invasion recognized the defeat of the Russian army at the front. Now they are actively discussing its causes and trying in every possible way to remove responsibility from Putin. Similarly, the Kremlin can accept the future defeat in the war, but under certain conditions. This is stated in the conclusions of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on September 13.
“The Kremlin has admitted its defeat in the Kharkiv region,” ISW concluded. – The Kremlin never admitted that Russia suffered a defeat around Kyiv or, later, on Zmiiny Island, considering the withdrawal from Kyiv as a decision to prioritize the “liberation” of Donbas, and the exit from Zmiiny Island as a “gesture of goodwill.” The Russian Ministry of Defense initially offered a similar explanation for the Russian failure in Kharkiv, claiming that Russian forces were withdrawing troops from the Kharkiv region to regroup, but this false narrative was met with swift and loud criticism online.
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Now, Kremlin officials and propagandists of the federal mass media are actively discussing the reasons for Russia's defeat in the Kharkiv region, and their rhetoric has changed a lot. All of them are now working to “remove from Putin any responsibility for the defeat” and shift it to “insufficiently informed military advisers” from the Russian dictator's entourage. In particular, they actively blame the military, who did not notice the concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment and neglected Telegram channels that warned of an imminent Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region.
“The Kremlin's recognition of the defeat in the Kharkiv region shows that Putin is willing and able to recognize and even accept the defeat of Russia at least in some circumstances and focus on shifting the blame away from himself,” the American analysts concluded.
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We remind you that the CPD is sure that calls “not to panic” and “start fighting for real” are spreading in Russia for a reason. In this way, the Kremlin is testing how ready the Russians are for general mobilization and whether they will agree to go to war.
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