How Russia is being patched up after Prigozhin’s revolt. Overview of the Russian media space in July 2023. Part 2

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Part 1 can be found here.

Throughout July, the Kremlin propaganda machine had to work in anti-crisis mode to rewrite Prigozhin's "trench truth" about the war’s failures. At the same time, the Russian authorities had to engage in information support of important international events and topics that could potentially embarrass society.

In particular, such events include the NATO summit, the termination of the grain agreement, and the Russia-Africa summit. Sensitive topics include a possible new wave of mobilization in Russia, the threat of nuclear war, the boycott of Russian athletes at international competitions, and the supply of modern American fighter jets to Ukraine.

However, the central theme of July for Russian propagandists remained the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Putin personally spoke about it five times between July 16 and 30.

Various means were used to deny Ukraine’s successes.

During this period, one of the most effective tools of Russian propaganda was the selective quoting of Western sources.

American and European media continue to write about the war in Ukraine with detachment. It allows the Russians to choose only those facts and arguments that testify not in favor of Ukraine. As a result, the Russian viewer or reader sees how even the "enemy voices" sing along to the Kremlin's narrative.

For this reason, the Western media were intensively quoted on the eve of and after Putin's essential statements about the "defeat of Ukrainian troops". We should also note that some of such materials are deliberately prepared by Putin sympathizers and published under the guise of their "points of view". Another part of the messages is voiced by popular "useful idiots" such as Elon Musk.

Significantly, the topic of Ukrainian losses and "defeat" was first assigned to Sergey Shoigu. All subsequent messages were intended to reinforce and substantiate the defense minister's statements. In this way, the gradual informational rehabilitation of Shoigu took place after the reputational damage caused by Prigozhin's rebellion.

This non-exhaustive list of prepared "news" has a convincing appearance in the absence of alternative information sources. It is not tricky for Russian propagandists to promote the Kremlin's central message that the special military operation is going according to plan, using a mixture of official messages and links to independent Western media.

NATO and Ukraine

After the defeat near Kyiv, the Kremlin is trying to convince the Russians that "all of NATO" is fighting on the side of Ukraine. At the same time, the thesis that "the West will cede Ukraine for the sake of relations/peace with Russia" is actively spreading and being commented on.

However, it seems that the Vilnius summit did not change anything. The Kremlin follows the same line: the ultra-Putinists continue to be told that the decisive battle with the West is approaching, and the timid are reassured that "NATO will collapse" and "Ukraine will surrender." Meanwhile, the majority are lulled by the thesis that the times of the Cold War are returning, as if hinting at the "stability" and "greatness" of the USSR during the confrontation, particularly the ability to teach the whole world a lesson. However, Kremlin allowed Peskov to threaten only Europe this time.

Russia-Africa summit

Russian propaganda solved several tasks that were not very coordinated with each other on the eve of and during the summit with the leaders of African countries.

The most important task is to show Putin as a leader who enjoys international authority and Russia as a country that others want to see as a close partner and ally. They reached the point where they announced the goal of jointly ruling Africa with China. Given the critical attitude towards the PRC (People’s Republic of China) on the continent, this might sounded less attractive to the summit’s guests.

At the same time, the Russians had to respond to accusations about the war and the termination of the grain agreement. In general, these topics were kept silent or presented exclusively in the context of condemning the USA and Ukraine.

However, some messages were generally unsuccessful. Intended for a domestic audience, they could sound to Africans as Russia’s self-exposure to crimes and the desire to create another food crisis. For example, Peskov generally threatened to stop any alternative grain supplies from Ukraine, which did not correspond to the interests of African countries.

The diplomatic incident happened after Putin's statement about providing free grain to some African countries. Their list includes the military junta of Mali and Burkina Faso, which are not recognized by all states of the African Union. Additional embarrassment was caused by Prigozhin’s statements, which welcomed the new military coup in Niger, condemned by most African countries. However, the Russian audience, of course, did not find out about these slip-ups. However, very soon, Kremlin propagandists will have to explain why relations with Africa have not succeeded for Russia.

After all, the most telling evidence of Putin's Africa policy failure was the presence of African leaders at the Russian Navy Day parade: three military dictators (Eritrea, Mali, and Burkina Faso), one aid beggar with uncertain re-election chances (Congo), and minor politicians from Tanzania, war-torn Sudan, and the island dictatorship of Equatorial Guinea.

The grain agreement and the liberation of Azov residents

Throughout the war, the Kremlin was forced to seek justification for its relations with Turkey, which sold weapons to Ukraine and closed the passage channels for the Russian fleet to the Black Sea. Erdogan remained an untouchable figure for Kremlin propagandists.

However, the dismissal of the Azovstal garrison commanders was perceived as a personal humiliation in the Kremlin. It could not be forgiven in the context of Prigozhin’s rebellion. Public statements have been markedly restrained, but an anti-Turkish campaign has begun in the ultra-Putinist media. Everything was done in a hurry and inconsistently. For example, the termination of the "grain agreement" was called the most extensive "strike" on Turkey, even though Putin made such a decision even before the release of the Ukrainian commanders. At the same time, there was also a transparent call to "reconcile" for the sake of a confrontation with the "West".

In August, we will see whether the anti-Turkish campaign will have approval from above and continue or whether everything will slow down again for the sake of Putin's entourage business and trade interests.

Sport is no longer a "world" (мир, from "Russian world" / русский мир)

Unfortunately for the Kremlin, July was rich in unexpected humiliations. After the release of the Azovstal commanders, Russia learned that, together with Belarus, it may not participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

In light of this, the incident during the fencing competition in Milan does not seem accidental: the Russians wanted to set a precedent, according to which Ukrainian athletes should not enter the competition due to non-observance of "sports etiquette". However, the joy of Olga Harlan's disqualification did not last long. After all, the IOC invited the Ukrainian athlete to participate in the Olympics, granting her an automatic license.

The Russians had to quickly switch on the old Russophobia song to hide somehow the shame and the loss of the opportunity to use sports for war propaganda.

From the Russian spectator’s point of view, the Russian racers were more cautious. In response to the demand of the professional international federation to condemn the aggression against Ukraine to get the right to participate in the competition, they stated that they do not need international competitions. However, the Russian athletes’ behavior proved once again how vital every international event is for Russia to deny its aggression and war crimes.

However, as in the case of Turkey, Russia is in no hurry to take decisive steps. After all, the opportunity to participate in international events, especially the Olympics in Paris, creates additional opportunities for conducting disinformation campaigns, provocations against Ukraine, and subversive activities in Europe. Therefore, it is very likely that the Kremlin, gritting its teeth, will close down this topic and look for an opportunity to get to the Olympics.

New mobilization in Russia

We want to remind you that Yevgeny Prigozhin stated the need for a total mobilization of the population and the economy to win the war with Ukraine.

Therefore, the propagandists faced a difficult task: on the one hand, it was necessary to deny the need for mobilization, not to confirm Prigozhin's words. On the other hand, the situation at the front requires additional information work to substantiate the new mobilization.

On July 3, Duma General Kartapolov refuted Prigozhin's words about the urgency of mobilization. Regional media have used it for quotes:

However, numerous publications are beginning to appear in the Russian regional media, in which service in the army and the importance of participation in the special military operation are advertised.

In addition, the Russian remote villages are being lured to help commemorate the anniversary of the Ukrainian city's occupation, fake documentaries about the war, particularly with the participation of multi-colored ultra-Putin "celebrities" such as the failed spy Anna Chapman.

They also circulate "news" about "volunteers" who collect and deliver equipment to the front, weave camouflage nets, and teach children to assemble kamikaze drones. A publication in "Samarska Gazeta" gathered some attention, in which a wounded fighter shares his impressions of Ukrainians’ life: "Everyone has a bath in their apartment, regardless of their wealth." Such an ad looks like an ad focused on looting.

The icing on the cake was the distribution of a message dated July 26 about the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia that participation in special military operations is a reason to release a criminal from criminal punishment.

Together with the law adoption that restores conscription in Russia, all this looks like a severe refinement of the population before another wave of "partial mobilization".

The ghost of revolution or rebellion

The picture of the Russian media space will be incomplete if we ignore the numerous reports about the detention of people who expressed disobedience to the regime or even resisted it.

The geography of the FSB reports shows that the war became a source of the radical opposition groups' emergence. It cannot help but please us and frighten the Kremlin, which sees the whole picture of the spread of hatred and resistance to the regime.

In addition, the war, in the eyes of some Russians, is just another opportunity to make money. That is why there are more and more reports about the sale of military equipment and spare parts. It, too, cannot help but please us: the more such goods are on the "black market", the fewer of them are left for the Russian army.

The incitement of fascist hysteria in Russia is starting to work against the Kremlin. It is evidenced by reports of how people fell into the hands of fraudsters who called themselves FSB employees or targeted them as "Ukrainian nationalists".

Let's add another case of arson provocation by the Chekists themselves. The unconfirmed accusations of "SBU employees" and the provoking of a potential victim at the last moment, when she was already trying to avoid participating in the arson, are particularly noteworthy.

Photo credits: Getty Images