What happened? The withdrawal of russian troops from Kherson brings closer an ideological fracture between supporters of the war and russian president vladimir putin. The loss of the city sows doubts about his ability to fulfill his military promises.
Source. The report of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Details. russian pro-war ideologist, Alexander Dugin, openly criticised putin for surrendering Kherson City.
It is noted that putin is having a harder time appeasing parts of the highly ideological pro-war constituency. The support is loosened by the inability of the armed forces of russia to deliver his maximalist goals of overthrowing the Ukrainian government and seizing all of Ukraine.
“Direct criticism of putin in pro-war circles is almost unprecedented. The ever-increasing doubts among extreme russian nationalists about putin’s commitment to russian ideology reduce putin’s appeal to the nationalist community, while mobilisation and high casualties will likely continue to upset members of russian society,” the analysts say.