The Kremlin has instructed Russian state propaganda outlets to downplay the Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region, the independent news site Meduza condemned on Thursday, and prepare the public for the fact that while the occupied area will eventually be retaken from Kyiv, it could take time — weeks, or even months.
According to inside sources, Moscow’s propagandists should portray the “temporary” occupation as a “new normal” and avoid portraying the situation as “shocking or dangerous.” “It is essential that people see what is happening not as an aberration, but as a new norm, even if it is temporary. It should be comfortable. It is difficult to deviate from the norm. The norm, even if it is new, is easier for people to accept,” a Kremlin-linked media expert quoted by Meduza said.
These instructions help explain why Russian President Vladimir Putin has portrayed his official activities as “business as usual” over the past week, although some argue that his “hands-off” approach has much to do with the fact that the Russian president will distance himself from attempts to retake Kursk if things go wrong.
The Kremlin’s plan is for the media, both print and television, to channel the initial shock of the Kursk invasion “in a positive direction,” that is, that the territory will be retaken, but it may take time. So people should be patient and “wait.”
At the same time, the Kremlin has instructed regional governors to organize the collection of financial and other assistance for the Kursk region. According to Meduza sources, this may include the forced deduction of a percentage of the income of civil servants and state-owned enterprises.
Finally, it is believed within the Kremlin that it will take several months to retake the territories occupied by Kiev, and the source of the independent news site revealed that “it may be too optimistic, even if things go well” for the Russian military.
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