Military expert comments on development across Russia ahead of Putin’s sham reelection weekend
The Freedom of Russia Legion, the Russian Volunteer Corps, and the Siberian Battalion launched an operation in Belgorod and Kursk oblasts, while drones attacked nine regions of the Russian Federation, including Moscow Oblast.
Vladyslav Seleznyov, a military expert and former spokesperson for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, told Radio NV on March 12 what is happening in the Russian rear these days.
Smoke, explosions – this is “cotton” that blooms in different parts of the Russian Federation (Explosions in Russia or Russian-held territory far behind the frontlines are popularly referred to in Ukraine as “bavovna”, or “cotton” in English). Please note that military units, facilities of the Russian military-industrial complex, as well as oil refineries of the Russian Federation are burning – the very ones that form the Russian state budget. The Russians are suffering losses. And this is happening as part of the asymmetric actions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
These activities are aimed at weakening the combat potential of Putin’s army as much as possible. But I would draw the attention of our audience to the time period when this “cotton” is taking place. Because on the eve of President Putin’s three-day “election,” Russian top officials and top propagandists would definitely prefer that Russia be quiet, calm, and safe. Because these are the things that are constantly identified in the Russian information space with the name of Vladimir Putin.
And on the eve of the “elections,” of course, it would be great if there were no risks associated with “cotton”, the activities of units like the RDK, the Russian Freedom Legion, or the Siberian Battalion.
But it didn’t happen the way Russian propagandists and officials thought it would. The fighters of these units are working, and cotton is blooming. And under such conditions, Russians have a perfectly reasonable question: why do we hear one thing on television but see something completely different outside the windows of our homes?
Obviously, such processes – informational targeted campaigns, cotton in different parts of the Russian Federation – will continue to gain momentum and spread in pace and volume because it is only fair. We did not start this war 10 years ago, but it is up to us to end it – and to end it with our victory.
And for this to happen, we need to weaken the combat potential of Putin’s army as much as possible. Because Putin’s army, which will not have the appropriate resources to wage an aggressive war, will hardly be able to implement any part of Putin’s plans.
We have to remember that in February 2022, Vladimir Putin announced his march into Ukraine as part of a so-called “special military operation” to fully occupy Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. And he has partially realized this mission, and partially failed to realize it, although Russian soldiers are making great efforts. They suffer losses in personnel, equipment, and weapons, but nevertheless continue to push forward, trying to fulfill Vladimir Putin’s whims and delusions.
In fact, what we are witnessing now in the Kursk and Belgorod oblasts (the raid of three battalions – ed.) is a tactical episode. It involves a small number of soldiers and relatively small territorial gains. Because, most likely, after the search and raid operations, the soldiers of these units will return to the territory of Ukraine. Because now the enemy has put its attack and fighter aircraft in the air, in particular. And it is extremely difficult to fight enemy aircraft without sufficient air defense equipment.
Nevertheless, given that this is not the first time that informational power actions have taken place on the territory of the Russian Federation, this allows for the dissemination of information, in particular through word of mouth in the Russian Federation, that armed resistance to Putin’s dictatorial regime is quite real.
It is not for nothing that spokespeople for the RDK and the Freedom [of Russia] Legion constantly call on Russian citizens to join their ranks to resist with arms. Because political discussions and actions of a political nature are unlikely to radically change the socio-political situation in Russia. Only armed resistance can lead to some changes, positive changes in the Russian Federation itself. It is precisely this mission that the informational power actions that are being implemented in some areas of the Belgorod and Kursk oblasts are aimed at.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
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