ISW: Russian propagandists turn away from Kremlin due to defeats in front

Russia's defeat in Ukraine's Kharkiv region and Lyman has radically changed the Russian information space and now propagandists have begun to criticise the country's military leadership and complain about the lack of transparency regarding the course of the war.

This is stated in the report of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on October 2, Caliber.Az reports.

"The Russian defeat in Kharkiv Oblast and Lyman, combined with the Kremlin’s failure to conduct partial mobilization effectively and fairly are fundamentally changing the Russian information space. Kremlin-sponsored media and Russian mil bloggers – a prominent Telegram community composed of Russian war correspondents, former proxy officials, and nationalists – are grieving the loss of Lyman while simultaneously criticizing the bureaucratic failures of the partial mobilization.[1] Kremlin sources and mil bloggers are attributing the defeat around Lyman and Kharkiv Oblast to Russian military failures to properly supply and reinforce Russian forces in northern Donbas and complaining about the lack of transparency regarding the progress of the war," ISW reports.

It adds that some guests on heavily-edited Kremlin television programs that aired on October 1 even criticised "Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to annex four Ukrainian oblasts before securing their administrative borders or even the frontline, expressing doubts about Russia's ability ever to occupy the entirety of these territories".

Kremlin propagandists no longer conceal their disappointment in the conduct of the partial mobilisation, frequently discussing the illegal mobilisation of some men and noting issues such as alcoholism among newly mobilised forces. Some speaking on live television have expressed the concern that mobilization will not generate the force necessary to regain the initiative on the battlefield, given the poor quality of Russian reserves, the report notes.

The Russian information space has significantly deviated from the narratives preferred by the Kremlin and the Russian Defence Ministry (MoD) that things are generally under control.

The Russian defeat around Lyman has generated even more confusion and negative reporting in the mainstream Russian information space than had the Russian withdrawals from Kyiv, Snake Island, or even Kharkiv.

The Russian information space relied on journalists and TV talk-show guests to enforce coerced self-censorship, especially after the Kremlin adopted a law that threatens Russians with up to 15 years in jail for "discrediting the army".

The criticism on Russian federal TV channels of military failings and failings of the partial mobilisation effort, especially following the defeat at Lyman, is thus daring and highly unusual for the Kremlin's propaganda shows. It has brought the tone and tenor of some of the military blogger critiques of Russia's performance in the war into the homes of average Russians through official Kremlin channels for the first time, ISW says.