Special Services

Dissatisfaction and frustration related to Russia's war against Ukraine is growing in the Kaliningrad Oblast. Residents are aware of the activities of Russian propaganda. They are getting the real picture of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They have much easier access to information about the actual actions of the Kremlin than other residents of Russia.

The data available to Poland show that the Ukrainian counteroffensive made a great impression on the inhabitants of the Kaliningrad Oblast. In the opinions and interviews that appear, Russian soldiers indicate the scale of Russian lies and errors in command. Men avoid drafting into the army as much as they can. Their families help them. Even high for Russia appanages related to the fight at the front are not able to persuade Russians from the oblast to report to the army.

Soldiers from the Kaliningrad Oblast have contact with the wounded returning from the front. They know the accounts of people taking part in the war. This weakens the morale of conscripts even more and shows how dangerous it is to participate in the fighting against Ukraine today. The inhabitants of the Kaliningrad Oblast can see that the Kremlin is looking for "cannon fodder".

Stanisław Żaryn
Government Plenipotentiary for the Security of Information Space of the Republic of Poland