Russian military bloggers butcher Putin’s warmongering

They are bloggers, they are politicians, they are ex-soldiers and some are outright terrorists.

The common denominator is that they are Russian nationalists who support Russia’s war against Ukraine, but hate how President Vladimir Putin is conducting the war.

Now they have had “blood on their teeth” after Ukrainian forces allegedly used American artillery to bomb a Russian base in Russian-occupied Makiivka in Donetsk on New Year’s Eve, with very fatal results.

The seriousness of the attack is underlined by the fact that the Russian Ministry of Defense itself mentions and acknowledges that the attack claimed 89 lives. However, the Kremlin blames the soldiers themselves for the attack, due to unauthorized mobile use. Military bloggers claim the death toll is far higher.

It also suggests Ukrainian forces. Without directly claiming responsibility for the attack, they write the following about what is Russia’s response on Twitter, Telegram. Admittedly with an ironic reference to Russian propaganda explanations of previous attacks:

“As a result of careless handling of heaters, neglect of safety measures and cigarette smoking in an unspecified place, Santa wrapped 400 corpses of Russian officials in sacks. Another 300 have been injured with varying degrees of severity.”

– Even a fool understands

Several military bloggers believe that Russian generals were aware of the risk of many soldiers staying in the same place, and that they were within range of Ukrainian attacks. Furthermore, it is claimed that Russian forces stored ammunition in the neighboring building, which is said to have exploded when the Ukrainian rockets hit.

The military blogger who goes by the name Archangel Spetnaz has more than 700,000 followers on Telegram, and spared no expense:

– Who came up with the idea of ​​placing personnel in large numbers in one building, when even a fool understands that it will lead to a large number of injured and killed if they are hit by artillery? Clearly, commanders couldn’t care less.

Several demand punishment

Both military bloggers, journalists and politicians advocate that someone must be punished.

– I hope those responsible for the decision to gather everyone on the same base will be punished, wrote Daniil Bezonov on Telegram. He was previously part of the Russian administration in occupied Donetsk.

To the Russian state channel TASS, the Russian senator Grigory Karasin is said to have not only demanded punishment for the Ukrainian forces, but also “a thorough internal analysis for who must be reprimanded internally”.

Nationalist and journalist Andrey Medvedev writes on Telegram that punishment is necessary:

– A person of the highest rank is to blame. The person concerned must either be punished for these unnecessary losses of personnel, or convicted of treason. Otherwise, the country is over.

– Putin is a clown

Igor Girkin has completely turned his back on Putin.

Girkin was central when Russia occupied Crimea in 2014, and was referred to as “Putin’s man in Ukraine”. Internationally, Girkin is wanted and convicted for having given the order to shoot down the Malaysia Airlines passenger plane over Ukraine in 2014, which killed 298 people.

On his telegram profile Girkin has written that “Putin is a coward and a clown, who went into hiding when the war started”.

Girkin believes Ukraine conducts better warfare. He has branded Russian generals as “principally untrained and unwilling to listen to warnings”.

Now he believes Russia’s incompetence has peaked:

– Almost all military equipment, which was stored close to the building without a hint of camouflage. It was destroyed, writes Girkin on Telegram.

– Does criticism have any effect?

Tom Røseth, head lecturer in intelligence at the Norwegian Defense Academy, predicts more significant losses for Russia in the future and, consequently, more criticism of Putin. Whether the criticism has consequences is another matter.

According to Røseth, it is thus possibly losing control of the security services and the military that could bring down Putin.

– Putin is safe as long as he has control over the security service and the military. If people appear who directly challenge Putin and we in the West see it, Putin’s security service will surely see it and take action, says Røseth and states:

– For those who criticize, we have seen that Putin often does one of two things: Recruitment to positions in his staff, or punishment.

A number of people who have criticized Putin, such as journalists, political opponents and business people, have lost their lives in suspicious circumstances such as “falling out of the window”. However, this is not something the military bloggers have to fear, says Tom Røseth of the Norwegian Armed Forces:

– Putin and the Kremlin have a different patience and tolerance for criticism from military bloggers and nationalists. They are useful for the regime, as they support the war in Ukraine and with their propaganda leads to increased support.