Russian Pro-War Bloggers Share Video Criticizing 'Armchair Patriots'
Russian pro-war bloggers shared a video critical of so-called “armchair patriots” who oppose Ukraine peace talks, the investigative news outlet Agentstvo reported Sunday.
In the short video, a husband and wife in their kitchen bemoan the Russian military for failing to capture major Ukrainian cities. The wife alludes to a “deal” that she claims is hindering progress on the battlefield.
The husband then angrily posts a comment online — only for the scene to shift to a Russian soldier taking cover in a trench, reading the comment. A female combat medic nearby reassures the soldier that “a deal will be made, and we'll return to our families.”
Suddenly, the video cuts to an incoming shell striking the trench, followed by a shot of the soldier's phone displaying a text message from his daughter wishing him a happy Defenders of the Fatherland Day, which is celebrated on Feb. 23.
The video, whose creators remain unknown, contrasts sharply with previous state-backed propaganda efforts, including widely shared clips produced by the Kremlin-funded broadcaster RT that promoted Russia's war effort. The latest video was published by several pro-war Telegram channels with hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
Agentstvo said it identified three of the actors in the video, all of whom had previously appeared in Russian television series and advertisements. One actress declined to provide details about the video's production or the identities of its creators.
While the video's authors remain unknown, RT acknowledged last year that it was behind a separate series of slickly produced pro-war videos widely shared by military bloggers. Those videos promoted Russian military service while mocking Ukraine and its Western allies.
Last month, Agentstvo reported that RT's production team behind the pro-war clips had received state awards from Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
The latest video was released days after US and Russian officials met for their first direct talks since the February 2022 invasion, with delegates from both sides striking a positive tone while downplaying the chances of an immediate breakthrough in Ukraine peace negotiations.
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