‘Front line creative brigades’ unlikely to raise fragile morale of Russian troops – UK intelligence

The relevant statement was made by the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom on Twitter, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

On December 14, 2022, Russia’s Defence Ministry announced the establishment of two ‘front line creative brigades’ tasked with raising the morale of troops deployed on the ‘special military operation’. The Russian media reported that the ranks would include opera singers, actors and circus performers.

According to the UK intelligence, this follows a recent campaign by Russia’s Defence Ministry to encourage the public to donate musical instruments to deployed soldiers.

Military music and organised entertainment for deployed troops have a long history in many militaries, but in Russia they are strongly intertwined with the Soviet-era concept of ideological political education.

“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,” the UK intelligence noted.

A reminder that the UK intelligence stated earlier that the launch site of Iranian drones had been relocated to Russia’s Krasnodar region due to Russian concerns about the vulnerability of Crimea.

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