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Russia‘s retreat from Kherson is only the latest in a series of military failings in Ukraine, and criticism of Moscow’s forces has grown significantly. Vladimir Putin has managed to shift the blame onto his military leaders, with direct criticism of him seen as a taboo. That is until now.
Russian state TV is hosted by ultra-nationalist figures, and has enabled hardline pundits to call for increased violence against Ukraine, while pro-Kremlin military bloggers have provided updates on the war for a Russian audience.
Things now seem to be shifting, as in the aftermath of the Kherson retreat, these platforms have been used by Russian nationalists to vent their frustration with the Russian military and Putin himself.
Steve Rosenberg, the BBC’s Moscow Correspondent, reported on Saturday that Russian military bloggers are furious. One, called Zastavny, said: “I will never forget this murder of Russia hopes. This betrayal will be carved on my heart for centuries.”
Another, called Zloi Zhurnalist, criticised Putin directly: “This is a massive geopolitical defeat for Putin and Russia…the defence ministry lost the trust of society long ago…now trust in the president will disappear.”
Putin endured a ‘massive defeat’ in Ukraine (Image: Getty)
Ukrainians in Kherson celebrate their liberation (Image: Getty)
Vladimir Putin has incensed international and Russian communities since February, with his bloody invasion of Ukraine having killed thousands and courted extensive western sanctions.
Express.co.uk takes a look at the four key candidates who could step up to replace Putin if needed.
Vladimir Solovyov regularly hosts a state TV programme, and is well-known loyal supporter of the regime. Last week, he lamented Russia’s failure not just in Kherson but also in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital which Moscow failed to take early on.
Speaking more sympathetically, Solovyov argued that NATO’s support for Ukraine had made the task difficult for the Russian military.
He said: “I wanted our flag to be flying in Kyiv in March. It was painful when our troops turned away from Kyiv and Chernihiv. But such are the laws of war…we are fighting NATO.”
On Sunday, Solovyov showcased the state media’s tendency to make provocative comments when he called for escalation of the conflict and argued that Putin should spark a “full-scale war” across Europe.
READ MORE: One survivor’s account of hellish Russian prison in Kherson
Solovyov with Putin. He is one of the Kremlin’s main propagandists (Image: Getty)
He said: “It’s necessary for us to acknowledge that we need a different army. By ‘different’, I mean a larger one which is capable of covering the whole length of the front line and waging a full-scale war on European territory.”
State TV hosts and pundits are also known to call for attacks on specific countries. In August, for example, Solovyov said that the UK is the “right size” for a nuclear attack.
Raging at Britain’s support for Ukraine, well-known host Olga Skabeyeva also said: “Britain’s defence secretary, the famous Ben Wallace, who was not against nuclear weapons for Kyiv, said – and it matters – that all targets in Crimea for a Ukrainian strike could be considered legitimate.
“What’s more, Britain will hand over three more 270 MLRS to Ukraine, in addition to the three already supplied, plus a significant amount of ammunition. We conclude that Britain wants to openly go to war with Russia. Good luck!
“But first, I would advise you to sort out, or try to sort out your own economy.”
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Skabeyeva is known as ‘Putin’s Iron Doll’ (Image: Rossiya 1)
Russian soldiers had occupied Kherson until last week (Image: Getty)
Skabeyeva is known as ‘Putin’s Iron Doll’. Vasily Gatov, a Russian media researcher, spoke about her rhetoric in April when he told Business Insider that she is a “monster” with a history of being “chauvinistic, patriotic, pro-government, non-critical, clearly scandalous.”
Sarah Oates, a professor at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, explained that figures like Solovyov and Skabeyeva deliberately make “over-the-top” comments to allow the Kremlin to gauge how far they can go with any given policy.
Independent media outlet The Insider, which is based in Latvia and covers Russian affairs, reported that Skabeyeva and her husband Yevgeny Popov (also a state TV host) earn annual salaries worth 12.8million rubles, equivalent to around £135,000.
The experts added that Russian state TV hosts divide opinion in the country despite their complete control of the media landscape. While older Russians rely on propaganda as their news source, the younger generations are able to access international media and are more sceptical of the Kremlin narrative.
In fact, Professor Oates believes that a time will come whereby most Russians no longer believe what is being said to them via state TV. She added: “Complete denial and basically relying on a 1940s anti-Nazi rhetoric is not going to work in the long term. It’s just not. Russians aren’t idiots.”
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