The Russian paramilitary group Wagner has been in the media spotlight a lot in recent months, and usually because of their brutality and participation in the Ukraine war.
Among other things, they are known for executing defectors they get their claws into with a large sledgehammer. Several images of Russian clothing and other effects with a Wagner theme are now circulating. British The Telegraph has also mentioned the matter.
– It is Prigozhin who constantly runs PR. Image building within the framework of the regime is his specialty, but that does not make the group any more powerful, says chief researcher at the Norwegian Defense Research Institute, Tor Bukkvoll, to Nettavisen.
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– Distasteful
According to several Russian media, a replica of the mentioned sledgehammer is now to be sold as an interior object in Russia. The sledgehammer is decorated with the skulls that are often used as the Wagner group’s logo and should weigh close to seven kilos.
– In the Norwegian way of thinking, it is, to put it mildly, distasteful. It is an instrument used to execute defectors. It is primarily a glorification of violence. It also shows that they see no reason to hide their use of violence. A sledgehammer is a general symbol of power, and at the same time the sledgehammer is one of the things they are best known for. But they clearly do not distance themselves from the violence, says Bukkvoll.
Because in November came the first video of the Russian prisoner of war Yevgeny Nuzhin, who was executed using a sledgehammer. Before exactly the same thing happened in mid-February when Russian Dmitry Yakushenko fell victim to the same cruel execution.
Trust in Putin
Despite the great losses of personnel, material and finances, the Russian people must still be supporters of the bloody war.
– The opinion polls show that a significant majority is in favor of the war, although opinion polls in Russia must be taken with many pinches of salt. What must be remembered here is that the propaganda is effective and that many Russians therefore believe that the war is going well and is being fought for just goals. If you think the war is legitimate and going well, it is easier to be in favor of it, than if you perceive it as unjust and unreasonable. Interest in these effects increases in line with that, says Bukkvoll.
When the war started, there was talk for a long time that the Wagner group could be involved in the fighting. Nor was it as certain who led or founded the group, although most experts pointed to Prigozhin, or Putin’s chef as he is also known.
Now we know that both theories were true, but how do the Russians view the Wagner group now?
– We don’t know that, because there are no opinion polls on that. Wagner was not talked about before the war in Ukraine, and it was not until the leaders of the country talked about it that the Wagner group was legitimized as part of the warfare. Those who are in favor of the regime probably believe that if Putin says they are fighting for something important, then it probably is.
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– Blue-eyed
According to several war bloggers, sales of Wagner effects have almost doubled in the last couple of months. “We have just started selling the sledgehammers, but demand is high”, the manufacturer of the sledgehammer is said to have stated. You should also be able to get hold of T-shirts, slag and cups with Wagner symbols on them.
– Not all Russians are so blue-eyed. There are also a good number who do not believe the propaganda, and there are many in the middle who only partially buy the Kremlin’s. It is nevertheless quite clear that the one-sided propaganda leads to a majority of the population having a worldview that is similar to what they see on TV, says Bukkvoll.
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