ISW points to Ukrainian, Russian leaders' different approaches of identifying "true heroes" of war

The visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the frontline in Bakhmut on the 300th day of the war is undermining an ongoing Kremlin information operation intended to present Russian President Vladimir Putin as an involved war leader.

As recorded in the latest update on the situation in Ukraine by the Institute of the Study of War (ISW), Zelenskyy made this surprise visit to Ukrainian troops serving on the intense Bakhmut line on December 20 and presented various military awards.

“In contrast, Putin held a senior-level award ceremony where he celebrated Russian occupation and Kremlin officials such as proxy leaders from occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia oblasts, Russian propagandist and RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan, and Russian military blogger Semyon Pegov among other state officials”, the update noted. This event was also reported on by Caliber.Az earlier.

The ISW provides their assessment of why the Russian leader would be involved in such public performances in such a point in time, stating, that “ISW has previously assessed that Putin has intensified his efforts to extricate himself and the Russian Ministry of Defense [MoD] from persistent criticism by making public appearances relating to various undertakings aimed at improving the Russian war effort. This award ceremony further indicates Putin‘s fixation with presenting himself as an involved wartime leader. Putin likely seeks to deflect blame for Russian military failures in Ukraine by maintaining a façade that paints Putin in a positive light but absolves him of responsibility for the war”.

The update brings attention to the different approaches the two leaders portray with their actions, stating, that “Putin’s decision to award members of his circle who have not even been directly involved in fighting in contrast with Zelensky’s visit near the front lines in Bakhmut sparked some criticism among Russian nationalist voices”. The report also references the comments of a former Russian military man, who said that “Putin is awarding ‘his heroes in the Kremlin’ but not Russian and proxy servicemen who are engaged in combat on the frontlines”.

The ISW report summarized the key developments of the previous day:

• Russian pressure against Belarus is degrading Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s maneuver room to avoid making concessions to the Kremlin.
• ISW continues to observe indicators consistent with the least likely but most dangerous course of action (MDCOA) of a renewed Russian invasion of northern Ukraine from Belarus.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Bakhmut undermines an ongoing Kremlin information operation to present Russian President Vladimir Putin as an involved war leader.
• Wagner financier Yevgeniy Prigozhin undercut Putin’s efforts to portray himself as a wartime leader within the Russian information space, possibly inadvertently.
• The Kremlin’s efforts to improve the reputation of the Russian MoD may have prompted Prigozhin to increase his efforts to legalize Wagner Group in Russia.
• The Kremlin will likely continue efforts to portray Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) as effective leaders when Putin holds an expanded annual Russian MoD board meeting on December 21.
• Russian forces conducted limited counterattacks along the Svatove-Kreminna line.
• Russian forces continued offensive operations in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka areas.
• Russian forces are expanding defensive fortifications on the left (east) bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast.
• A Kremlin official deflected questioning surrounding a Moscow Oblast military recruitment officer’s December 17 claim that Russian authorities will extend the service period for conscript soldiers.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that Russian security services intensify their efforts to counter pro-Ukrainian partisan activity.