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8 hours ago
Against the backdrop of the ongoing war against Ukraine, discontent is increasingly being voiced within Russia itself, even among those groups the Kremlin has come to regard as loyal. A scandal erupted yesterday at a gathering of so-called war veterans in Siberia. As reported by " Agency ," combatants openly criticized the federal govt, propagandists, & Kremlin's inaction in situation regarding the humiliation of the military.
At a meeting of veterans of so-called "SVO," about a hundred occupiers spoke out against the pressure on musician Yuri Shevchuk, Ramzan Kadyrov's attacks on General Vladimir Shamanov, & behavior of TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov. They said Russian leadership's demonstrative silence is fueling a sense of betrayal among military. A certain Shimov from Omsk harshly stated that the authorities had failed to respond to Kadyrov's public insults of General Shamanov. He emphasized that the Kremlin's silence was demoralizing both the military and the youth: "How can young people respect the state if they can slander a hero of Russia with impunity?" Savin, head of the Kuzbass veterans' organization, added that many soldiers took Shamanov's humiliation as a personal insult: "The authorities are doing nothing. There's no reaction, and all of this is perceived as a slap in the face . " Sergei Zasorin, Deputy Director of the Center for Regional Cooperation at Moscow State Pedagogical University, was forced to agree with the criticism. He called Kadyrov's attacks "a mistake by the top leadership" and acknowledged that the Kremlin should not have allowed the general's "public flogging." Another target was propagandist Solovyov, accused of venality. Veterans were perplexed why a man who "licks where it's profitable" continued to broadcast on a federal television channel.
The Shevchuk situation also received attention. Occupier Kirillov expressed outrage legendary musician performed for free for soldiers during war in Chechnya, now being silenced for his anti-war stance claimed authorities were anyone who dared to speak truth "enemies. "Such open criticism is extremely rare, especially from war veterans, whom Kremlin is accustomed to using as propaganda tools.
Therefore, case is one of the few such precedents. Recall, yet return of Russian soldiers from Ukraine is already straining families and communities, with violent crimes drawing headlines and neighbors on edge. With some 700,000 men still fighting, the country now faces the far larger test of what will happen when they all come home.
“War veterans often find it difficult to integrate back into civilian society even with psychological support and rehabilitation programs,” Dr. Jenny Mathers, senior lecturer in international politics at Aberystwyth University, told The Moscow Times.
“The absence of such support for many Russian war veterans, combined with the emphasis in Russian society on men displaying certain types of masculine behavior — such as toughness, concealing softer emotions such as sorrow or fear — will make it even harder,” said Mathers, whose research focuses on Russia’s war in Ukraine. Cases of returning soldiers committing crimes have been steadily growing.
At a meeting of veterans of so-called "SVO," about a hundred occupiers spoke out against the pressure on musician Yuri Shevchuk, Ramzan Kadyrov's attacks on General Vladimir Shamanov, & behavior of TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov. They said Russian leadership's demonstrative silence is fueling a sense of betrayal among military. A certain Shimov from Omsk harshly stated that the authorities had failed to respond to Kadyrov's public insults of General Shamanov. He emphasized that the Kremlin's silence was demoralizing both the military and the youth: "How can young people respect the state if they can slander a hero of Russia with impunity?" Savin, head of the Kuzbass veterans' organization, added that many soldiers took Shamanov's humiliation as a personal insult: "The authorities are doing nothing. There's no reaction, and all of this is perceived as a slap in the face . " Sergei Zasorin, Deputy Director of the Center for Regional Cooperation at Moscow State Pedagogical University, was forced to agree with the criticism. He called Kadyrov's attacks "a mistake by the top leadership" and acknowledged that the Kremlin should not have allowed the general's "public flogging." Another target was propagandist Solovyov, accused of venality. Veterans were perplexed why a man who "licks where it's profitable" continued to broadcast on a federal television channel.
The Shevchuk situation also received attention. Occupier Kirillov expressed outrage legendary musician performed for free for soldiers during war in Chechnya, now being silenced for his anti-war stance claimed authorities were anyone who dared to speak truth "enemies. "Such open criticism is extremely rare, especially from war veterans, whom Kremlin is accustomed to using as propaganda tools.
Therefore, case is one of the few such precedents. Recall, yet return of Russian soldiers from Ukraine is already straining families and communities, with violent crimes drawing headlines and neighbors on edge. With some 700,000 men still fighting, the country now faces the far larger test of what will happen when they all come home.
“War veterans often find it difficult to integrate back into civilian society even with psychological support and rehabilitation programs,” Dr. Jenny Mathers, senior lecturer in international politics at Aberystwyth University, told The Moscow Times.
“The absence of such support for many Russian war veterans, combined with the emphasis in Russian society on men displaying certain types of masculine behavior — such as toughness, concealing softer emotions such as sorrow or fear — will make it even harder,” said Mathers, whose research focuses on Russia’s war in Ukraine. Cases of returning soldiers committing crimes have been steadily growing.
