Russia Uses Russian Orthodox Church, Zampolits For Info Drive

Russia is never as strong as it appears, but neither is it as weak as it seems. Prior to the war, many observers overestimated Russia’s military, Dmitry Adamsky wrote for Foreign Policy. Now, another extreme has emerged: Underestimating Russian combat effectiveness.

Photo Insert: Christ the Savior Cathedral, Moscow

“Western euphoria about Ukraine’s success at fending off Russian forces has led leaders to underestimate Russia’s capacity to mobilize manpower and domestic support as well as Moscow’s ability to bolster troops’ morale—one of the essentials for battlefield performance in Russian military thinking,” argued Adamsky, a professor at the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy at Reichman University (IDC Herzliya) in Israel.

Although the initial psychological state of Russian troops was poor, things are changing. As part of its wartime adaptation, the Kremlin embarked on a colossal agitation campaign to boost morale and this could impact the course of the war.

Battered by oligarchs opposed to the Ukraine invasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin is now trying to overcome his losses in the propaganda war by recruiting Russian Orthodox Church as his megaphone along with the zampolits or the deputy political officers in the military who replaced the Soviet-era pompolits or political commissars.

They will concentrate on an agitprop campaign to boost the shattered morale of Russian troops.

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