The Russian military blogger who goes by the name VChK-OGPU has in recent days mentioned a Russian military unit for the elite. So these are not elite soldiers, but a unit consisting of Russian politicians, rulers and their sons.
British The Telegraph has also mentioned these units, and writes that they are to be located in Donbas, but there is however uncertainty as to whether they are located in the counties of Donetsk or Luhansk.
– On a general basis, the rest of the middle class and the elite have avoided the war. Young men belonging to this class have largely escaped. It is mostly in the provinces that the mobilization has been great. Moscow and St. Petersburg have largely avoided mobilization, says Tom Røseth to Nettavisen.
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Class separation
On one thing, however, the reports are in complete agreement. The units must operate far away from the bloody front lines in the areas. The Telegraph writes that the soldiers like to sit safely in bunkers and are usually drone pilots who reconnoitre the front.
– The elite do what they can to avoid sending their sons to war. Such inventions as this mean that you can say that you have been in the war.
Røseth singles out the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who claimed that he sent his sons to fight in Ukraine.
– I think there are very few who have been at the front of those who are involved or in positions of power. There really is a difference between people in Russia. It is the case that those with power have different rules or norms than the average Russian. There is a very large distance between the people and the elite, says Røseth, and adds:
– I myself have studied in Moscow and seen the difference between the regular Russian and the elite.
In safety
The Russian military blogger writes that the politicians have been asked to support Putin’s warfare in Ukraine. These units, which are criticized for being a kind of cover for the elite, are said to have been started by the politicians so that the sons would have a “safe” way to participate in the Ukraine war.
– If they sit in so-called command centers then they are a possible target, but there is a much lower risk if you are far from the front line. The risk is greatest right at the front, so there is a low risk if you move beyond the Ukrainian HIMARS range of 80 kilometres.
According to several well-known military bloggers, several of the politicians are said to have shortened their service time and usually serve for around a month. In the pictures the soldiers themselves have posted on social media, they often pose next to what are supposed to be elite Russian soldiers who are tasked with protecting the soldiers.
– How will this be perceived by Russian mothers and families who cannot get their sons back home?
– If this gets the job done in terms of information and becomes known as an actual apology for the elite, then there are probably things that can make the population dissatisfied with Putin and the elite. Russian society is used to the elite having different rules of the game, replies Røseth.
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– Power of influence
– The military blogger who first mentioned these rumors has around 600,000 followers on the messaging service Telegram. But do they really have any influence on the Russian population?
– They have quite a few followers and the best bloggers have around a million followers. That information then indirectly reaches many people, so they certainly have an influence, says Røseth.
– How do you consider the credibility of these military bloggers?
– Credibility varies greatly, but they have several times been the first to criticize the defense leadership on Russian losses that have high credibility.
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