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Vladimir Putin seeks to militarize Russian society and deflect personal responsibility for the war in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin is actively working to shift the responsibility for the ongoing war in Ukraine onto the Russian State Duma and the general population. During a recent speech for Russia’s Navy Day, Vladimir Putin emphasized the importance of national unity and claimed that Russian volunteers are eager to bear the necessary sacrifices for victory. He further highlighted the role of Duma deputies, noting that two-thirds of the bills passed in the last five years have supported the military and domestic economy. Simultaneously, the Russian military is expanding its force structure. Vladimir Putin signed a decree increasing the authorized end strength of the Russian Armed Forces to 2,426,130 total personnel. While Russian forces continue to make steady territorial gains in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian forces have maintained a long-range strike campaign against Russian infrastructure. These strikes have impacted Russian oil facilities and energy systems, even affecting Kazakhstan’s oil output. Despite these efforts, Russian forces continue to conduct offensive operations across multiple fronts, including the northern Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts.

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