Vladimir Putin is desperately trying to boost the flagging morale of his troops by sending opera singers, actors and circus performers to the frontline.
As Russia ’s invasion of Ukraine continues, the Kremlin is turning to increasingly odd tactics to improve the ‘fragile morale’ of troops in the face of mounting losses.
The Russian Ministry of Defence is said to be establishing two ‘front line creative brigades’ composed of artists, opera singers, actors and circus performers.
According to the UK’s Ministry of Defence, these were set up on December 14 and followed a recent campaign by the Russian MoD to get the public to donate musical instruments to the deployed soldiers.
They added that: “Fragile morale almost certainly continues to be a significant vulnerability across much of the Russian force.
“However, soldiers’ concerns primarily focus on very high casualty rates, poor leadership, pay problems, lack of equipment and ammunition, and lack of clarity about the war’s objectives. The creative brigades’ efforts are unlikely to substantively alleviate these concerns.”
This comes as yesterday one of Russia's top brass seemingly accidentally revealed that the length of the conscription period would eventually double to two years.
In a TV interview Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Fotin said that young men, aged 18-27, would be called up for one-and-a-half years from spring 2023, and two years from autumn next year - up from the current one year.
Fotin’s bombshell TV interview was quickly removed from TV screens after he said: “There will be a transition period in spring [2023].
“Citizens called up in spring will serve one-and-half years. And those conscripted in autumn 2023 will serve two years .
“I find this decision quite logical, given that our northern neighbours [Sweden and Finland] are joining NATO.”
The apparent upcoming conscription scheme seems set to provide Putin with even more soldiers heading into the next year.
Officially, no such conscription plan has been announced but there have been reports suggesting Putin will confirm the bombshell announcement in the new year holidays in Russia.
Speaking on reports of the mobilisation, Ukraine's Major General Andrii Kovalchuk told Sky News: "I think Putin is thinking about it. And we cannot rule out such an option. We have to be ready for it.
"It will no longer be the case that they [the Russians] will simply walk in, as was the case on 24 February (2022).
“We are preparing for it. We are investigating. We look at where they accumulate strength and means. I believe that our position and the position of our partners today should be clear.
"If Putin carries out a full mobilisation, our partners are ready to provide us with all the force and means to stop not an army of 300,000, but an army of a million."
Kovalchuk added that Ukraine was aware Putin might target Kyiv in a second assault.
He said: "We foresee such options, such scenarios. We are preparing for it. We live with the thought that they will attack again. This is our task.
"We are considering a possible offensive from Belarus at the end of February, maybe later.
"We are preparing for it. We are investigating. We look at where they accumulate strength and means. We are preparing."
