Girkin's arrest may anger some in Russian military and propagandists – UK intelligence

UK Defence Intelligence has suggested that the arrest of Igor "Strelkov" Girkin in Russia is likely to anger his supporters among military bloggers and the military, since for many he has the image of a patriot who was not afraid to criticise Putin.

Source: UK Defence Intelligence report on Twitter on 22 July, as reported by European Pravda

Details: UK Defence Intelligence recalls that Girkin a leading Russian blogger, known for his role in Russia's hybrid war in Donbas since 2014 and his long-standing criticism of the actions of the Russian Ministry of Defence, and recently he has not been afraid to directly criticise Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation.

Analysts suggest that Girkin's arrest might anger his supporters in the community of Russian military bloggers as well as some of the military, among whom he mostly has the image of an astute military analyst and patriot.

Quote: "While Girkin is no ally of the Wagner Group, he was likely only prepared to push the limits of public criticism in the context of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's June 2023 abortive mutiny. 

The taboo against unmasked criticism of the Putin regime has been significantly weakened." 

Background: On 21 July, rumours emerged about the arrest of Igor "Strelkov" Girkin in Russia, which were later confirmed. The court detained Girkin until 18 September on charges of "calls for extremism".

In addition, Pavel Gubarev, former so-called "people’s governor" of Donetsk Oblast and an ally of the militant Igor Girkin, was arrested near the court building.

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