Russia to punish military for using personal phones at front – ISW

The Russian State Duma (the lower chamber of the Russian parliament) adopted an amendment on 24 July that would allow Russian commanders to punish subordinates for using personal communication and navigation devices at the front.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: The proposal sparked strong opposition from Russian ultranationalists and some Duma members. 

Several lawmakers argued against the bill, advocating for frontline commanders to have a more significant influence on military policy decisions. 

Ultranationalist bloggers and commentators voiced widespread criticism, fearing that Russian military leaders might exploit the new rules on personal device usage to resolve personal disputes and silence legitimate grievances from soldiers. These soldiers frequently use personal devices to document and disseminate their complaints. 

Critics also raised concerns about the amendment's potential negative effects on the front lines, where Russian forces often rely on unsecured devices for essential functions such as command and control, logistics, and combat operations.

To quote the ISW’s Key Takeaways on 24 July:  

• Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that the Russian military has significantly increased its manpower and materiel commitments to the war in Ukraine over the last two and a half years, but Syrskyi's statement is not indicative of a sudden increase in the Russian military's presence in Ukraine and is instead representative of the manpower and material disadvantage that Ukrainian forces have faced for over two years.
• Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with People's Republic of China (PRC) Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Guangzhou on 24 July and discussed the war in Ukraine and the PRC's potential role in a future negotiated settlement of the war.
• The Russian State Duma adopted an amendment on July 24 that will allow Russian commanders to punish subordinates for using personal communication and navigation devices at the frontline, drawing continued backlash from Russian ultranationalists as well as other MPs.
• The Georgian State Security Service (SUS or SSSG) reiterated standard Kremlin information operations targeting former Georgian opposition figures and former Ukrainian law enforcement officials.
• An assassination attempt injured a reported senior Russian military intelligence officer in Moscow City on 24 July.
• Russian forces recently marginally advanced north of Kharkiv City and near Avdiivka and Donetsk City.
• Russian officials continue efforts to entice Russians into military service with monetary incentives.

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