Zhdanov about Putin's antics/Channel 24 collage did not start” was mainly for an internal audience. And its consequences were very unexpected for the Kremlin itself.
Military expert Oleg Zhdanov told Channel 24 about this. According to him, in this way Putin wanted to once again emphasize to the West that he is at the head of a nuclear state. But for the domestic Russian audience it was a certain test. And it didn't go “smoothly”.
Not all Russians are ready for forced mobilization
As Zhdanov noted, The Russian audience reacted very loudly to this statement. And some even began to criticize Putin. This indicates that the figures about his support, which are drawn in Russia, do not really match reality. At the end of March, there were data on 83%.
People may not be against Russia's crude invasion of Ukraine and generally support Putin. But they are afraid to fight and do not want to.
In general, Zhdanov believes that about half of Russians support the war, the other does not. The indicators could seriously change if forced mobilization takes place.
I think that this was indicative for the Kremlin. This indicates that if they announce mobilization, they can split the society in half. Let them try to mobilize people, half of whom will be for the war, and the other half – against, – Zhdanov notes.
It is not yet a fact that those who support the war will take a rifle and go to war. They may start asking more and more questions about the readiness of the “second army of the world” and why it has been “mired” in Ukraine for 5 months already. Therefore, Zhdanov is inclined to believe that the Kremlin will not risk mass mobilization.
Let us add that Oleg Zhdanov is convinced that if Russia declares war, it will be a real gift for Ukraine. Then many “surprises” from the UN will work.
