Putin is facing the biggest criticism since coming to power. What was heard on Russian television was unthinkable until recently TVNOVINY.sk – TVNOVINY.sk

The humiliating retreat of the Russian army from the Kharkiv region provoked critical reactions in Russia. The Kremlin’s ineffective strategy was targeted by pro-Russian bloggers, and an unexpectedly open criticism was also heard in the TV debate. However, after the unfavorable development of the situation on the battlefield, conservative supporters of the Putin regime are increasingly speaking out. What was unimaginable not long ago has become a reality. Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing the most criticism at home since he has been at the head of the country. The development of the war in Ukraine is to blame. Even ordinary Russians already know that the strategy of the Russian army and its plans have failed. The harshest criticism comes from pro-Russian channels on Telegram, but after a week of silence, reflections on the consequences of the Ukrainian counterattack in the Kharkiv region began to appear in the Russian media as well. Pro-Russian bloggers blame the Kremlin for holding pompous celebrations in Moscow and not reporting on its failures on the battlefield instead of focusing on helping Russian forces on the front line. When Russian troops had to ignominiously withdraw from the Kharkiv region, the Ministry of Defense explained it as a “regrouping of forces” in the Donbass. Zelenskyi: Ukraine regained 6,000 square kilometers of territory in September Since the beginning of the invasion, the Kremlin has tried to silence liberal voices criticizing the war. However, after the unfavorable development of the situation on the battlefield, the conservative supporters of Putin’s regime, who are even more nationalist than him, are increasingly speaking out. According to the adviser to the Ukrainian Minister of the Interior, Vadim Denisenko, we are witnessing the formation of a new opposition formed by ultra-nationalists. In an interview with Ukrainian radio NV, he said that the trigger for criticism was not only the defeat in Izium or Balaklia, but also Putin’s greeting to the new British king, Charles III. This move was met with a huge storm of resentment on social networks. “The truth is that many of these people (ultranationalists, editor’s note) were never big fans of Vladimir Putin as a person. They were rather followers of his imperial policy. The fact that they are speaking up now is not so surprising. But it is extremely premature to talk about any opposition, and even an organized one,” Ondřej Soukup, a commentator for the Czech daily Hospodářske Noviny, told TVNOVINY.sk. They covered one failure with another Perhaps the status about the equipment of Russian soldiers and the waste of funds for the spectacular celebrations of the founding of Moscow resonated the most on social networks. They were also marked by another failure – the largest Ferris wheel in Europe broke down a few hours after its ceremonial opening. “In the military, there are no thermal cameras, no body armor, no reconnaissance equipment, no secure communications, not enough helicopters, no first-aid kits. You are celebrating the billionth holiday. What’s wrong with you? Well, not during such a terrible failure,” the blogger wrote about the celebrations that took place at a time when Russian soldiers were losing village after village in Ukraine. Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov was among the critics of the leadership of Putin’s “special operation”, who complained that if the strategy does not change, he will have to explain the real situation on the battlefield to the leadership of the Ministry of Defense. The former member of parliament called for peace negotiations Unexpectedly, open criticism of the Russian army was also heard in the discussion program Mjesto vstreči (Meeting place) of NTV television. There were also statements about impending defeat, which until recently would have been punishable by harsh punishments. The guests no longer spoke of a “special operation” but called the conflict a war and questioned the way it was being conducted. “I propose peace negotiations. It is impossible to defeat Ukraine with the resources we used in the colonial war, with mercenaries and without mobilization,” said former State Duma deputy Boris Nadezhdin. He recalled how at the beginning of the war it was said that Ukraine would surrender and the population would want to join Russia. His voice was not unique. Commentator Alexey Timofeyev recalled the words of a certain expert, whose analysis he called criminal. “There was a commentator who said that when the Russian soldiers entered Odessa, the only thing they would be in danger of was getting hurt by how tightly the local people would hug them. After February 24, we already understand that Odessans do not want to hug Russian soldiers. And this expert now says that it is necessary to continue until the end. That was not a faulty analysis, that was a criminal analysis,” declared Timofeev. Amazing footage from Russian state TV. The propagandists are turning on each other, starting a blame-game and some even seem to realize that they can’t defeat Ukraine militarily. The last two sentences are amazing. Via @JuliaDavisNews pic.twitter.com /WUgtHvGmZW — Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) September 11, 2022 He also criticized the slogan that Russians and Ukrainians are one nation: “We will not win the sympathy of Ukrainians when we tell them that their nation does not exist. That only creates resentment.” However, all these guests faced hawks in the debate. “War is war and not everything can be predicted. The main thing is the political will and victory will be achieved,” countered deputy Sergej Mironov. A similar position to Mironov’s was taken by MP Alexander Kazakov, who criticized Nadezhdin’s statement about the colonial war as dishonoring and undermining morale. “It’s a global war, this is part of it,” he insisted. “I hope that the global war will not start, the balance of power does not work in our favor,” Nadezhdin responded with another bold statement. When asked by the ambassador how many years the Russians will do this, Kazakov answered: “As much as it takes.” Nadezhdin thanked him for his sincere words
and added: “So even my ten-year-old children have hope that they will fight.” Communal deputies called for Putin’s resignation As for criticism of the Kremlin, the municipal deputies from Moscow and St. Petersburg went the furthest. They signed a public statement calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to resign from his post. Representatives of several parts of Moscow and St. Petersburg claim that the actions of the head of the Kremlin “harm the future of Russia and its citizens.” “Deputies are not forbidden to have an opinion. And it is also not forbidden to speak out in favor of the resignation of the president. He is not a monarch, but a hired worker, he receives a salary from our taxes,” she said. Mundeps demand Putin’s resignation. Municipal deputies from 18 different districts of Moscow, Petersburg and Kolpino demand Putin’s resignation. The text of the petition is concise and does not “discredit” anyone. Если вы мундеп и хотите присоедниться – милости просим. pic.twitter.com/APCUZRlznv — Ксения Торстрем (@kseniathorstrom) September 12, 2022 Will Putin announce mobilization? One of Vladimir Putin’s former speechwriters says that force is the only source of his legitimacy. Russian opposition journalist Ekaterina Kanakovová thinks that in the light of the development of the situation in Ukraine, Putin is losing this legitimacy together with the military force. “In fact, we are observing panic in Russia after the counterattack by Ukrainian forces. We see it in political events, which take place according to what the propagandists present,” Kanakovová said in an interview broadcast by the news station ČT24. According to her, the propagandists are waiting for instructions. If they don’t come, it means that even the government doesn’t know what to do and is at a loss. “If there is panic in the leadership, they don’t know how to continue, it will spread throughout Russia,” the journalist thinks. Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Source: Profimedia.sk As for the information that reaches the Russians, according to her, it is still controlled by the Kremlin. “Many do not know that Ukraine has regained the Kharkiv region,” says Kanakov, but on the other hand, according to her, coffins are beginning to return from Ukraine to Russia and fresh graves are being discovered in Russian cemeteries. This raises the suspicion that the operation is not going exactly as planned. Although criticism of the Kremlin from within Russia is getting stronger, according to Soukup, we cannot yet talk about a turn of public opinion against the war in Ukraine. “What happened was that the hurrah-patriotic part of Russian society, which had uncritically supported Vladimir Putin until now, began to question his military capabilities. It’s a big change, but it’s difficult to estimate how much this topic resonates with ordinary Russians,” the journalist explained. For most Russians, according to Soukup, it is only a virtual war, they see images of it on screens, but it does not affect them personally. The “disappearance” of the closest collaborators of the Russian president also raises big questions. Kanakova pointed out that no one knows where Sergei Shoigu is, what he actually manages and whether he is still the Minister of Defense. According to her, the Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov is in the same situation. ​”He has almost no one left, because he doesn’t trust anyone, not even those who were said to be his friends,” the journalist said, mentioning, for example, Viktor Zolotov, who was Putin’s bodyguard for 10 years, or the oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, who, according to her, trying to recruit prisoners for the war. “It is very difficult to estimate what is going on in Putin’s head. Now the main question is whether he will declare mobilization. The fact that this has not happened so far means that Putin is afraid of the reaction of the population,” the journalist concluded. According to Soukup, Putin avoids mobilization for two reasons: “When I talked about the fact that the war does not directly affect the majority of Russians, mobilization would change that.” According to the Czech journalist, it does not make much sense from a military point of view either. “If he had already decided to mobilize, he should have done it in the spring. Giving a soldier who last served in the army 10 years ago an outfit and sending him to the front line would not be the best idea. Before that, at least one month, ideally two months of training is required. In addition, the Russians lack people who can operate more sophisticated military equipment,” concluded Soukup.​