According to a report, Russian state media has been warned not to draw attention to the successes of certain Russian generals for fear it would lead to leadership struggles. It is preferable that the Russian media focus only on the identity of servicemen who are successful as soldiers and officers.
By spotlighting the achievements of senior military figures, you risk increasing support for a rival to Putin, especially if one soldier becomes prominent for a number of successes.
Tough Russians are frustrated by Putin’s refusal to mobilize the nation or launch attacks on vital government buildings in Kiev.
A source close to the Kremlin told opposition website Meduza: “If there was a general that people would hear about constantly, someone who often appeared in the news, he would inevitably become popular.
“He would get credit for the win. Who knows what that popularity might become among supporters of the war.”
Another source also suggested that the president of Russia fears a return of “another General Lebed”.
General Lebed was a brusque military commander who became popular in Russia for ending the First Chechen War and foiling a KGB plot to overthrow Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991.
Before Putin came to power, Lebed was suggested as a suitable successor to President Yeltsin.
Putin criticized Lebed’s policies, saying the peace deal he drafted was a betrayal of Russia’s interests as Putin flared up the conflict in Chechnya again.
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Buryatia is one of the poorest regions of Russia and that is where most of the Russian military casualties come from.
Many women from the region posted a video of them begging their husbands to return home after they left to fight in Russia’s “unjust” war.
The activist wrote to the returning soldiers: “You made the right choice: you saved your life and the lives of others!
“Don’t fight for Putin’s ambitions. While you die, he eats well, sleeps well, and builds himself another golden palace.”