Putin seeks to shift personal responsibility for Ukraine war onto public — ISW

Analysts noted that in his Navy Day speech on July 26, Putin emphasized the importance of "national unity" around military operations against Ukraine.

The dictator claimed that it is necessary to "saturate the consciousness" of Russian society with the importance of the war and maintain this sense of national unity even after its conclusion.

Putin insisted that nothing is more important than the Russian occupational forces fighting on Ukrainian territory.

Analysts also highlighted the dictator's remarks regarding volunteers who allegedly fear their assistance to Russian forces will no longer be needed in peacetime. The ISW noted that this represents an attempt to portray the Russian populace as eager to sustain the conflict and make continued sacrifices.

On July 27, the dictator held a meeting with State Duma deputies, in which he emphasized political unity on military matters.

He specifically highlighted the collective voting on laws concerning the annexation and "integration" of occupied regions in Ukraine's Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson oblasts.

In summary, ISW analysts concluded that Putin is emphasizing the role of deputies and ordinary citizens in the war against Ukraine to deflect personal accountability for the ongoing conflict and present them as fully supportive of his decisions ahead of the State Duma elections in September.

On July 27, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a decree increasing the official strength of the Russian Armed Forces by 25,000 soldiers. This marks the second such decision since the beginning of the summer.

The document takes effect on Aug. 1, 2026.

Putin signed a similar decree earlier on June 12.