Expert Keir Giles noted the activities of Russian defectors are putting pressure on the Russian Government – and serving as a useful propaganda tool to recruit more members.
The Senior consulting fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House told The Kyiv Independent: “This is part of a combined and coordinated information campaign by Ukraine to put the Russian leadership on edge and to put its population on notice that they are not going to be immune from the consequences of the war.
“By putting psychological and information pressure at both ends of the Ukrainian front line, both across the border into Belgorod region and in occupied Crimea, Ukraine is keeping the Russian leadership guessing and also putting it under stress no matter how significant or insignificant the incursions into Russia may in fact be.”
In his victory speech on Sunday, Putin said: “We will be forced at some point, when we consider it necessary, to create a certain ‘sanitary zone’ on the territories controlled by the (Ukrainian government).”
He argued the “security zone” Russia will seek to build ““would be quite difficult to penetrate using the foreign-made strike assets at the enemy’s disposal.”
