As Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, the Kremlin is employing increasingly bizarre tactics to boost 'fragile morale' in the face of mounting losses. Russia has said that it will send musicians and singers to Ukraine's frontlines to boost the morale of its troops. This week, the Russian Defence Ministry announced the formation of the "frontline creative brigade," which would include circus performers, according to a report in the BBC.
The UK's Ministry of Defence took to Twitter to inform about the brigade's creation in an intelligence update. They wrote, "On 14 December 2022, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced the establishment of two 'front line creative brigades' tasked with raising the morale of troops deployed on the 'special military operation'. Russian media reports that the ranks will include opera singers, actors and circus performers. This follows a recent campaign by the Russian MoD to encourage the public to donate musical instruments to deployed soldiers."
They added that many militaries have a long history of military music and planned entertainment for deployed personnel, but in Russia, these traditions are closely tied to the idea of ideological political education popular during the Soviet era.
However, they doubted whether the new brigade would truly distract troops. "Fragile morale almost certainly continues to be a significant vulnerability across much of the Russian force. However, soldiers' concerns primarily focus on very high casualty rates, poor leadership, pay problems, lack of equipment and ammunition, and lack of clarity about the war's objectives. The creative brigades' efforts are unlikely to substantively alleviate these concerns," the Ministry continued.
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In a statement posted to Telegram, the Defence Ministry said Mr Shoigu "flew around the areas of deployment of troops and checked the advanced positions of Russian units in the zone of the special military operation", referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as per the BBC.
The brigade would include both soldiers enlisted voluntarily and those who were mobilised as part of President Vladimir Putin's recruitment campaign, according to the Russian news agency RBC. According to the outlet, the Defence Ministry believes that the new unit will be responsible for preserving "a high moral, political, and psychological state [among] the participants of the special military operation."
