The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on 20 July Russian Minister of Defense Andrei Belousov has held multiple meetings with Kremlin-affiliated military bloggers (milbloggers) in an apparent effort to improve the Ministry of Defense’s (MoD) standing among pro-war Russian ultranationalists.
According to the ISW, Belousov met with select groups of Russian military bloggers and commentators on 10 June and 19 July. Milbloggers, who attended both meetings, claimed that Belousov has already begun addressing many of their concerns about the war in Ukraine and the MoD bureaucracy.
“Belousov acknowledged that the MoD has yet to find solutions to every issue that the milbloggers raised but stressed that Belousov is not ignoring issues,” the report states.
One prominent Kremlin-affiliated milblogger expressed optimism, stating hope that “Belousov and the MoD will eliminate all the ‘painful malfunctions’ among Russian forces in Ukraine sooner or later.”
Another milblogger claimed that Belousov specifically promised to build shelters at military airfields to protect against Ukrainian drone strikes, addressing a major concern within the Russian pro-war ultranationalist community.
The report suggests that both the Kremlin and the Russian MoD have a vested interest in appearing open to dialogue with milbloggers, who represent a significant pro-war constituency. It also indicates that the Kremlin may be aiming to portray Belousov as more responsive to these concerns than his predecessor, Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu.
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