Russia's Invasion of Ukraine (Official Thread)

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Kremlin Tells State Media to Portray Occupation of Kursk as ‘New Normal’​


An independent news site says Russia’s administration has instructed its propagandists to prepare the population for the fact that resolution of the Kursk “situation” may take some time.

by Steve Brown | August 22, 2024, 8:08 am

Kremlin Tells State Media to Portray Occupation of Kursk as ‘New Normal’

The aftermath of Ukrainian shelling on the border town of Sudzha on Aug. 6, 2024. Photo: Telegram

The independent news site Meduza, citing sources close to the Kremlin, reports that Russian state propaganda outlets have been instructed to play down the significance of Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region. At the same time, they should prepare their audience for the fact that, although the area occupied by Kyiv will eventually and inevitably be recovered, this could take time – measured in weeks or even months.

According to its inside sources Moscow’s propagandists should present the “temporary” occupation as a “new normal” and to avoid portraying the situation as shocking or dangerous.

“It is necessary for people to consider what is happening not as a deviation, but as a new norm, albeit temporary. This should be soothing. It is difficult to exist deviating from the norm. The norm, even if it’s a new one, is simpler [for people to accept],” a media expert with close ties to the presidential administration told Meduza.

This could also explain why President Vladimir Putin has been portraying it as “business as usual” with his official activity over the last week, although some say his “hands off” approach is as much to do with him distancing himself from attempts to recover Kursk should it all go wrong.

The Kremlin’s plan is for the print and broadcast media to channel the initial shock the loss of territory in Kursk caused “into a positive direction” – to explain that the return of the territories will happen, but it can take time and people need to be patient and “wait.”

It's unclear if Modi could be an effective dealmaker. He still has good relations with Putin, giving him a hug last month on the same day Russia bombed a children's hospital in Kyiv.

This follows on from the findings of a survey by Russia’s Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) that suggested the level of anxiety among Russian citizens was now higher than it was during the Wagner PMC “mutiny” in July 2023.

At the same time, the authorities have instructed regional governors to organize the collection of financial and other assistance for the Kursk region. Meduza’s sources say this may include the forced deduction of a proportion of the earnings of state employees and state corporations, sources from the offices of regional officials told Meduza.

Another Meduza source said that inside the Kremlin it was believed it could take several months to recapture the lost territories near Kursk, but the interlocuter thought even that could be “quite optimistic,” even “if everything works out [well]” for the Russian military.

On the evening of Aug. 20, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Alexander Syrsky, claimed that Ukraine’s forces controlled 93 settlements in an area of 1,300 square kilometers (502 square miles) in the Kursk region. This is likely to increase even further as the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) has cut off areas south of the Seym River, after they blew up three bridges in the Glushkovo district.

Abbas Gallyamov, a Russian political scientist in an essay on the PointMedia website dismisses the Kremlin plan as little more than a sticking plaster that is covering up the growing fatigue and negativity that the Russian people are feeling towards the so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine. He feels that the “new reality” approach will reinforce the view that Putin is no longer able to defend his country and it is actually that thought that will become the “new normal.”
 

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Russian ambassador to U.S. says Putin has plan of action for Kursk incursion​


By Reuters

August 23, 20245:28 AM EDTUpdated 6 hours ago

Ukrainian service members attend military drills near a frontline in Donetsk region


Ukrainian service members of the 33rd Separate Mechanised Brigade practice firing an anti-tank guided missile weapon system MILAN as they attend a military drill near a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 13, 2024. REUTERS/Alina Smutko/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Aug 23 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has formulated a response to the ongoing Ukrainian incursion in the Kursk region and those responsible for attacking Russia will be punished, Russian ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov said.

"I tell you sincerely that the president has made a decision," the TASS state news agency quoted Antonov as saying late on Thursday. "I am firmly convinced that everyone will be severely punished for what has happened in Kursk region."

The comments by Antonov, who did not provide further details on Putin's plans, came after the Kremlin leader held a meeting on Thursday with senior officials, including the governors of border regions, over two weeks after Ukraine launched its lightning attack, the biggest incursion into Russia by a foreign power since World War Two.

Antonov, who has served in his post since 2017, also warned in comments published by the RIA state news agency that the U.S. will at some point remove all restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine.

"The current administration behaves like a person who extends one hand and holds a dagger behind their back with another one," Antonov said, describing Washington's recent comments about Kyiv not being allowed to use U.S. weapons for strikes deep into Russian territory as "goading".

"They are, essentially, laying ground (for a decision) to simply remove all the existing restrictions at a certain point, without much thought," he said.

The United States has provided Ukraine with more than $55 billion worth of military aid since 2022, but has limited the use of its weapons to Ukrainian soil and counterfire, defensive crossborder operations.

Kyiv has said it has used U.S.-made weapons in Kursk, including glide bombs and HIMARS rocket systems.

Washington has not commented directly on the use of U.S.-made weapons in Kursk region but has said that U.S. policies have not changed and that Ukraine is defending itself from Russia's invasion.
 

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