KREMLIN'S NEW TACTIC ⟩ Defense Minister Courts Influential War Bloggers

On June 10 Russian new Defense Minister Andrei Beloussov met with war bloggers, signaling the Kremlin's possible intent to leverage the new defense chief to garner support from influential military bloggers.

Beloussov's meeting included "war correspondents" from state television as well as those who report and propagate news about the war in Ukraine via online platforms like Telegram, according to The Moscow Times.

“Nearly two hours of direct communication on all relevant issues. No restrictions or bans. We discussed everything,” said "war correspondent" Alexander Kots after the meeting.

Alexander Sladkov, a reporter for Russian state television and radio, described the meeting as candid and interesting.

"The impressions are very positive. I noticed that the minister has complete information about what is happening, despite having only recently taken office," noted military observer Daniil Bezsonov on Telegram.

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Kremlin is likely attempting to present Beloussov as more responsive to the criticism from war bloggers compared to his predecessor, Sergei Shoigu. While ISW notes that this impression may be misleading, it serves to attract a broader community of war bloggers who are not necessarily aligned with the Kremlin.

Some of the war bloggers who attended the meeting reported that the minister promised to issue new orders and address front-line issues based on their discussions.

“Beloussov’s outreach to war bloggers is likely a performative attempt to secure their loyalty before making systemic changes,” asserts ISW.

The 65-year-old former economist Beloussov has no prior military experience. His predecessor, Shoigu, faced harsh criticism from war bloggers for missteps in the Ukraine war.