UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 766 - MARCH 29, 2024

The Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, a Kremlin-controlled organization and as such an instrument of Russian hybrid warfare, held the World Council of the Russian people in Moscow on the 27th and 28th of March and adopted an ideological and political document that interconnects various Kremlin ideological narratives to create a broader nationalist ideology around the war in Ukraine and Russia's expansionist future.

The Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church has intensified the Kremlin's rhetoric regarding Russia's war in Ukraine and has referred to it as an existential and civilizational "holy war" - a significant shift for the Russian authorities who have carefully avoided officially labeling Russia's invasion in Ukraine as any kind of "war."

The Moscow Patriarchate advocated for the codification of elements of "Russkiy Mir" to strengthen public support for the formal inclusion of ethnic Ukrainians and Belarusians in the Kremlin's concept of the Russian nation. It strongly emphasized that Russia needs traditional family values and an updated migration policy to address the ongoing demographic crisis in Russia.

The Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church seems to be uniting the previously parallel efforts of the Kremlin into a relatively coherent ideology that focuses on national identity and demographic growth, promising the Russian people a time of national rejuvenation in return for social and civic duties.

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, emphasizes that the Ukrainian forces are suffering from a lack of materials due to delays in Western security assistance, and Ukraine is forced to conduct strategic defense.

The Russian military has likely expanded its attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure to hydroelectric power plants.

The Russian forces have recently made confirmed advances near Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Donetsk city, as well as in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia border area, while further positional fighting along the entire contact line took place on March 29.

The Russian Ministry of Defense is preparing for the semi-annual draft cycle in the spring, which begins on April 1.

The full Russian Offensive Update 766 is available directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

UNDERSTANDING WAR