UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 331 - JANUARY 18, 2023

The speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin commemorating the lifting of the siege of Leningrad by Soviet forces makes it clear that he is still unsure if he is able to shape the Russian information space significantly.

Putin used his speech on January 18 to reiterate the usual and long-standing Kremlin rhetoric, falsely claiming that Russia launched the invasion of Ukraine to protect the residents of Donbass from neo-Nazis who, according to the Kremlin, took control of the Ukrainian government in 2014. Putin did not use the public platform of the event to make any announcements regarding the war in Ukraine, such as a new wave of mobilization or a formal declaration of war, which some Russian milbloggers had speculated. Specifically, Putin has declined to use several high-profile public addresses, including his annual New Year's address and his canceled annual address to the Assembly of the Russian Federation, to make any significant new announcements regarding the war. The Russian President likely repeated the Kremlin's standard rhetoric because it resonated well with the ultranationalist, war-supporting Russian community that increasingly criticizes his conduct of the war. Putin may be attempting to shape the Russian information space over time, but he does not seem willing or able to deliver a dramatic speech that signifies a significant shift in his rhetoric.

The full Russian Offensive Update 331 is available directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

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