A publicity stunt orchestrated by the Kremlin for Vladimir Putin this week backfired within just a few hours of its broadcast.
The Russian leader had the starring role in a brief audio clip described as a phone conversation between Putin and a top commander on the battlefield in Ukraine. Released by the Kremlin and immediately amplified by a string of state-controlled media outlets, the seemingly scripted phone chat was widely seen–even by one of Putin’s own former advisers–as an unprecedented move aimed at pushing back against humiliating reports of Russian military setbacks and appeasing frustrated troops.
It seemed to be just the boost to morale that Putin needed after weeks of dwindling approval ratings and Ukrainian drone strikes deep within Russian territory, with a man on the call identified as Commander Abdulaziz Shikhabidov of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division reporting dazzling successes on the frontline and a “confident” mood among troops ready to fulfill their mission.
But there was one glaring problem: The same Kremlin-controlled media outlets trumpeting Commander Abdulaziz Shikhabidov’s briefing with Putin had reported that the same commander died last year. A school in his native Dagestan even posted to social media noting that students had paid tribute to him with a moment of silence before mysteriously deleting the post.
His death was also widely reported by pro-Kremlin military bloggers, with footage circulated purportedly showing his funeral that reportedly showed his name displayed on a memorial wreath. The independent media outlet Agentstvo notes, however, that there has never been official confirmation of his death.
The Kremlin’s release of the audio and apparent attempts to amplify it come as Putin prepares to double down in his war against Ukraine, even amid growing signs that Russia’s elite want to find an off-ramp. After even some pro-Kremlin hardliners and military bloggers complained in recent weeks about a disconnect between what was happening on the battlefield and how it was being portrayed back in Moscow, Putin appeared to try to defuse those frustrations with pointed questions during the phone call.
“Are the set objectives achievable within the designated timeframes?” the Russian leader asked, after also inquiring whether troops were in need of anything that might be “missing.” He was told in response that everything was going according to plan.
Sergei Markov, a former adviser to Putin, highlighted the clip on Telegram, describing it as a strategic move to “derail the West’s propaganda campaign claiming that Ukraine has allegedly turned the tide of the war in its favor.”
