Russia faces disputes about its war narrative
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) issued a rare statement on November 7 in response to extensive Russian milblogger outcry on November 6 about reported extensive losses and poor command within the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Pacific Fleet. Russian milbloggers published and circulated a letter that claimed Russian military leadership “threw” the brigade into an “incomprehensible offensive” near Pavlivka, Donetsk Oblast, where it suffered losses amounting to over 300 killed, wounded, and missing and lost half of its equipment, all within four days. The letter explicitly blamed Eastern Military District Commander Lieutenant General Rustam Muradov, 155th Naval Infantry Brigade Commander Colonel Zurab Akhmedov, and Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov for the brigade’s losses and called on Primorsky Krai Governor Oleg Kozhemyako to conduct an independent review of the actions of the officers involved in planning and conducting the recent Russian offensive push in western Donetsk Oblast.[1] The tone of many Russian milblogger responses to the letter resembles the response following the destruction of a Russian motorized rifle brigade crossing the SIverskyi Donets River on May 11, after which many pro-war milbloggers increased their direct criticism of the Russian military.[2]
The Russian MoD issued a rare response on November 7 to the outcry on and claimed that less than one percent of the brigade was killed and less than seven percent was wounded within the past 10 days, and that Ukrainian forces suffered high losses instead.[3] Kozhemyako also sought to address the outcry and claimed that the brigade’s losses are greatly exaggerated and (without providing evidence) speculated that the letter was a product of Ukrainian special services.[4] Kozhemyako stated that he contacted the brigade’s command and referred the case to the Russian military prosecutor.[5] Some Russian milbloggers agreed, claiming that Russian losses could not be as high as the brigade claimed, even calling the brigade’s letter exaggerated or fake.[6] The Russian MoD has remained remarkably tight-lipped about milblogger critiques of Russian failures throughout the war in Ukraine — unlike the Kremlin, which will occasionally indirectly address milblogger narratives. The MoD’s public response to milblogger outcry indicates that some Russian milbloggers have considerable leverage to shape MoD interactions in the information space and additionally suggests that the situation in Pavlivka is dire enough to warrant a response.
Discourse regarding the widespread failures of the Russian military establishment has pervaded beyond the milblogger information space and is increasingly coloring social dynamics. Russian milbloggers stated that women, presumably relatives of Russian military and mobilized personnel, have been calling attention to the failing state of the war by reaching out to milbloggers and local government officials.[7] ISW has observed multiple instances of Russian military personnel’s wives and mothers advocating for their relatives serving in the military by reaching out to local officials and prominent Russian milbloggers since the beginning of partial mobilization in late September.[8] The Russian MoD’s failure to properly address these systemic issues and their root causes will likely exacerbate these societal tensions throughout the war.
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What makes the claims about the losses credible is the actual results of the Russian war effort. The area Russia controls within Ukraine continues to shrink and any gains appear minuscule. There are also the significant losses of top commanders and the turnover of surviving commanders as evidence of failures on a broad scale.
The alleged failure of the Russian Marine operations is also getting acknowledged in the western media.
See, also:
Russian Troops Stand Up Against ‘Incompetent’ Generals in Latest Mutiny
And:
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The letter comes as footage appeared to show thousands of mobilised Russian soldiers staging an extraordinary mutiny against their general for sending them to the front line with a lack of supplies and equipment.
Major-General Kirill Kulakov, 53, faced chants of 'get out of here', 'shame on you', and 'down with Putin's regime' as thousands of mobilised men joined a protest at their training base in the city of Kazan, southwest Russia, on the night before they were due to be sent to the front line.
Soldiers who led the mutiny told superiors they could not fight because they had endured weeks of water shortages and scarce rations - and now they were going to be sent into battle with 'rusty machine guns from the 1970s'.
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There are also videos in the Daily Mail report on the mutiny.
And:
Russia issues rare denial of "pointless losses" by marines in Ukraine
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