It sounds like a bad joke: According to British secret services, Moscow wants to send “creative brigades” to Ukraine in order to boost the morale of Russian soldiers at the front: opera singers, actors and even circus people are supposed to provide entertainment there with Russian music and culture.
According to British secret services, Moscow wants to use music and culture to boost the morale of its own troops in the Ukraine war. A few days ago, two so-called “creative brigades” with opera singers, actors and circus people were announced to be deployed at the front, according to the daily short report from the British Ministry of Defense on Twitter. This is nothing entirely unusual. In most wars, commanders tried to distract and motivate their soldiers with cultural performances. The Bundeswehr also sent entertainers to the troops in Afghanistan.
The British suspect that Russia’s culture and entertainment offensive is closely linked to ideologically shaped political education. This has been closely intertwined with the Russians since Soviet times. At the same time, there are doubts in London that the Kremlin can actually use this to boost the morale of the Russian troops. The biggest problems for the Russians continue to be the high number of casualties, poor leadership, problems with salaries and incomplete equipment. It was said that the creative brigades could do little with these challenges.
Soldier dissatisfaction remains high. Numerous recruits have complained in the past that they were inadequately equipped and trained in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. This is one of the reasons why Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu paid a visit to the troops in Ukraine. “The head of the Russian military authority flew around the deployment areas of the armed forces and inspected the front positions of Russian units in the area of ????the special military operation,” the ministry’s Telegram channel said.
The text is accompanied by a video showing Shoigu in the helicopter. The report goes on to say that Shoigu listened to the commanders’ reports and spoke to private soldiers. He also thanked them for their “exemplary fulfillment of duty”. The visit was primarily about supplying the armed forces. Putin, on the other hand, has not been at the front since the war began.
The British Ministry of Defense has been publishing daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine at the end of February, citing intelligence information. In doing so, the British government wants to both counter the Russian portrayal and keep allies in line. Moscow accuses London of a disinformation campaign.
