AI Generated Image
Putin Humiliated in Botched Battlefield Publicity Stunt
The Daily Beast • • world
Key Points:
- The Kremlin released an audio clip featuring Vladimir Putin in a staged phone call with Commander Abdulaziz Shikhabidov, aiming to boost morale amid Russian military setbacks in Ukraine.
- The call portrayed battlefield successes and a confident mood among Russian troops, countering negative reports and declining approval ratings for Putin.
- However, the stunt backfired as the same commander was widely reported to have died last year, with social media tributes and funeral footage circulating, casting doubt on the call’s authenticity.
- The Kremlin's attempt to amplify the clip comes as Putin prepares to intensify the war effort despite signs of dissatisfaction within Russia’s elite and military circles.
- Former Putin adviser Sergei Markov described the audio release as a tactical move to counter Western narratives of Ukraine gaining the upper hand in the conflict.
