PUTIN EVOKES STALINGRAD
In keeping with the Kremlin's attempts to portray its invasion of Ukraine as an ideological and historical struggle against fascism, Russian President Vladimir Putin's February 2nd speech in Volgograd, formerly known as Stalingrad, was replete with World War II imagery – and grievances. Putin lambasted the recent decision by Western states such as Germany to support Ukraine with tanks, comparing the current situation to the German invasion of the USSR during World War II. He also invoked the spirit of the battle of Stalingrad to explain why Russia would ultimately prevail against the West in the current conflict. (Reuters, February 2, 2022)
[EDITORS' NOTE: The rhetoric is part of a larger pattern. The Russian government has repeatedly attempted to paint Ukraine's government as fascist as a way of linking its own efforts to "demilitarize" and "de-Nazify" it to the glory, sacrifice, and decisive nature of the fight against Nazism during what Russians term the "great patriotic war." In this way, Kremlin officials believe, it will be possible to rally their countrymen around the flag and drum up support for what has become a protracted and costly military misadventure.]
EVEN LESS RIGHTS FOR RUSSIA'S MISERABLE SOLDIERS
Over the past year, the plight and hardships of Russia's soldiers (and more recently its military conscripts) has become glaringly apparent. From poor equipment to negligible training to premature deployment, Russia's men under arms have struggled to cope with the harsh conditions imposed by the Kremlin in service of its "special military operation" against Ukraine. Now, these beleaguered servicemen are poised to suffer a further diminution in status. Two members of the State Duma have proposed legislation that would allow military personnel to be jailed without a court ruling – essentially stripping soldiers of legal protections. The legislation, if passed, would allow commanders of combat units and military garrison commandants to discipline personnel under their command for a variety of different offenses by holding them in a military prison. Currently, it is only legal to jail military personnel with prior approval from a military court. (Meduza, February 2, 2023)
KYIV SETS ITS SIGHTS ON PRIGOZHIN
Ukraine's attempts to bring Russia's leadership to justice for its war on Ukraine have taken another step forward. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the notorious Wagner paramilitary group, which has become a major participant in the current conflict, is facing a new criminal case brought by the Ukrainian government. Wagner has been a key component of Russia's military operations in Ukraine, and Prigozhin has been open about his role in supporting – and recruiting fighters for – the war. The legal troubles also potentially extend to Prigozhin's subordinates; Ukraine's Prosecutor General, Andriy Kostin, has clarified that his government would seek to hold all Wagner mercenaries responsible, including those who have fled abroad – like Andrei Medvedev, the former Wagner commander who recently sought asylum in Norway. (Reuters, February 3, 2023)
NEW SIGNS OF LIFE TO RUSSIA'S ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT
Despite the Kremlin's best efforts to stamp out dissenting voices, expressions of resistance to the Russian government's militarism and solidarity with Ukraine continue to emerge – albeit in subtle ways. In at least 60 cities across Russia, makeshift memorials of flowers have appeared commemorating the victims of a Russian attack on an apartment building in Dnipro. The missile strike occurred on January 14th, and since then has served as a focal point for resistance to the war. Although the government has not cracked down on participants in these "flower protests," police detachments have reportedly arrested seven people, and have been tasked with removing the memorials as they appear. (The Moscow Times, February 3, 2023)
NAVALNY'S SITUATION GETS EVEN MORE SERIOUS
Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny continues to languish behind bars in a high-security penal colony in Melekhovo in the Vladimir region, outside Moscow, serving out what has become a fifteen year prison sentence on trumped-up charges brought by the Russian government. Even in jail, however, authorities are squeezing the anti-corruption activist and penalizing him for his work. On February 1st, Navalny's associates announced over Twitter that he was being moved to a harsher type of solitary confinement for six months, during which visits would not be allowed.
The cruel treatment is taking its toll. Since his latest imprisonment in 2021, Navalny's health has deteriorated significantly as a result of around a dozen periods of solitary confinement. Navalny has received multiple gestures of support from Russian civil society during his incarceration, including an open letter from almost 500 medics, demanding that he receive proper medical treatment. (Reuters, February 1, 2023)
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