Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have identified a new tactic employed by the Russian leadership in the information war. Vladimir Putin has begun actively shifting responsibility for the conflict in Ukraine onto the deputies of the State Duma and the citizens of Russia. Experts believe that these statements conceal a specific political goal.
Militarization of Society as a Tool of Power
The focus of American analysts was a speech by the head of the Kremlin, delivered on July 26 during a solemn event dedicated to Navy Day. In his address, Putin declared the necessity of uniting Russian society around the war against Ukraine.
In the opinion of experts, such calls indicate the Kremlin's intention to further militarize the population of the Russian Federation, turning the war into a unifying idea for the domestic audience.
The Duma as a Shield Against Criticism
The very next day, on July 27, during a meeting with deputies of the State Duma, Putin changed his rhetoric, speaking about the unity of power in supporting military operations. He reminded the parliamentarians that over the last five years, the Duma has adopted about 3,000 laws necessary to meet the needs of the army, defense industry, and economy under wartime conditions.
Particular emphasis was placed on the fact that the deputies collectively approved laws on the inclusion of the temporarily occupied territories of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions of Ukraine into the Russian Federation.
Political Calculation Ahead of Elections
According to ISW analysts, with these statements, Putin is trying to shift part of the responsibility for the prolonged and costly war onto the legislators and society. The strategy is aimed at creating an image in which deputies and citizens appear as active accomplices and supporters of military actions.
"He is also trying to portray them as fully supporting his decision on the eve of the State Duma elections in September 2026," notes the ISW team in its report.
