Russian Defence Ministry tries to limit information about war in Ukraine – ISW

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has noted that the Russian Defence Ministry (Russian MoD) is introducing restriction and censorship on information about their war of aggression in Ukraine.

Source: ISW

Details: ISW suggested that the Russian Defence Ministry may be returning to more limited coverage of the war in Ukraine, attempting to censor complaints from the front and reports of Ukrainian military success.

ISW noted that the Russian Defence Ministry recently changed the style of its daily reporting in order to reduce the volume of information about the war it posts every day.

ISW said the Russian Defence Ministry used to publish a daily report that was different from the individual reports of the press services of each Russian military grouping.

However, on 29 August, the press services of each Russian military grouping published text copied directly from the daily report and not their own original ones.

"The Russian MoD has consistently attempted to institute an information policy that would provide limited information about the frontlines throughout the war.

The Russian MoD’s change in reporting, if this trend continues, may reflect its wider efforts to censor Russian reporting on the war and unify its own narrative," ISW summed up.

To quote the ISW’s Takeaways on 29 August:

• Ukrainian forces advanced near Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast and Robotyne in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast on 29 August.
• Russian sources continued to express concerns over Russian vulnerabilities in eastern and western Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
• Russian milbloggers accused the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the fifth consecutive day of attempting to conceal concerns over the mistreatment of a Southern Military District (SMD) brigade operating in occupied Kherson Oblast.
• These milblogger persistent complaints are likely an attempt to spark command changes that may favour Russian Airborne Forces Commander Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky, who reportedly oversees Russian forces in southern Ukraine.
• The Russian MoD may be reverting to more limited coverage of the war in Ukraine while attempting to censor complaints along the frontline and reports of Ukrainian advances.
• The United States State Department announced a new military aid package for Ukraine on 29 August.
• The Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported that the Kremlin is currently focused on promoting five main information operations against Ukraine.
• Russian forces conducted offensive operations along the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, near Bakhmut, along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line, and in the Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia Oblast administrative border area but did not make confirmed advances.
• The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported on 29 August that the Russian MoD is still unlikely to meet its targets for volunteer recruitment, despite offering incentives such as high salaries and additional social benefits.
• Ukrainian sources reported that occupation authorities continue to forcibly deport Ukrainian children from occupied Ukraine to Russia.

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