It’s Showtime, Folks: What is Russia’s ‘creative brigade’ and how will it serve during the Ukraine war?

The Russia war in Ukraine has entered its third phase — Winter War. On Day 299, Russia has upped the ante, launching drone attacks across Ukraine. On Monday morning, nine Iranian-made Shahed drones rained down on the city’s airspace, UK’s military administration said on Telegram. News agency Reuters reported that several loud blasts were heard in Kyiv and the region that surrounds the Ukrainian capital. The governor of the Kyiv region, Oleksiy Kuleba, said that the region was under a drone attack.

Amid this new phase of war, Russia’s Vladimir Putin is employing increasingly bizarre tactics to boost the ‘fragile morale’ in the face of mounting losses. One of the tactics being deployed is the formation of the “frontline creative brigade” this week.

The formation of this ‘creative brigade’ was highlighted by the UK’s Ministry of Defence over the weekend. They wrote, “On 14 December, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced the establishment of two ‘frontline creative brigades’ tasked with raising the morale of troops deployed on the ‘special military operation’.

We take a closer look at what exactly is the creative brigade, who is a part of them, and how it will help the troops.

Who makes up this creative brigade?

The creative teams, as reported, will include musicians, drama actors, representatives of the Novaya opera and Sovremennik theatres, a professional artist, and circus and vocal performers.

The UK said the entertainment unit comes after a campaign urged Russians to donate musical instruments. The UK defence ministry added that the move is in keeping an established approach of using “military music and organised entertainment” to raise the spirits of troops.

The creative brigades will be tasked with providing “cultural and artistic services for fighters in the special operation zone” and collecting army “folklore.”

The head of the first brigade to be deployed said in the statement that the new units were styled after the 2,000 artists who formed the cultural backbone of the Soviet army during World War II.

What have they been tasked with?

According to the UK defence ministry update, the ‘creative brigade’ has been tasked with raising the morale of the Russian troops at a time when they are facing heavy losses.

Russian soldiers are struggling in the war with high number of casualties as well as poor leadership, pay problems, lack of equipment and ammunition. They also don’t have a clarity on the objective of the war — making them less enthused to fighting and defending Mother Russia.

In fact, in an attempt to boost morale and fighting spirit among the troops, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu visited frontline troops in Ukraine recently. In a statement posted to Telegram, the defence ministry said Shoigu “flew around the areas of deployment of troops and checked the advanced positions of Russian units in the zone of the special military operation”, referring to Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched on 24 February.

Is this the first time ever?

While it may sound absurd to deploy artistes to the frontlines to motivate troops, this isn’t the first time that such a practice is being followed.

Entertaining the troops has long been viewed as a vital and necessary way to boost the morale of armed forces.

Also read: How a Ukrainian musician is carrying out the world’s ‘most dangerous rock tour’

Mark Cann, chief executive of the charity British Forces Foundation in a BBC report, explained, “It’s a little bit of back home. It breaks the routine, the monotony and gives time for reflection and enjoyment.”

He added that celebrities are often a pure connection between those serving on the front line and the public back home. “It’s the message behind the entertainment that has the lasting impact. People do care that the big star is giving up their time for nothing. That means a lot.”

Edgar Jones, professor of the history of medicine at King’s College London, has explained that morale is of the utmost importance while fighting a war. Studies show that as morale falls, psychological disorders rise. And it makes troops less effective too.

“Morale is so important. It drives what you do and the way you do it. When morale falls off you lose determination, and that’s contagious,” he was quoted as telling the BBC.

During World War II, several entertainers came forward as part of the morale-boosting exercise. There was British singer Vera Lynn, known as the ‘Forces Sweetheart’, American singer Bing Crosby, who carried out shows across England, France, and Germany, Bob Hope, who was known for going to remote outposts under harsh conditions to provide his comedic antics for the good of America’s fighting forces and legendary crooner Tony Bennett.

Where is the Russia war in Ukraine headed?

The Russia-Ukraine war shows no signs of abating with Russia continuing its attacks. On Sunday, Ukraine said Russian shelling targeted the southern city of Kherson in which three people were injured.

Amid the constant barrage, Ukraine has been able to restore power to three million more Ukrainians. “Electricity supplies have been restored to a further three million Ukrainians,” Volodymyr Zelenskkyy said in his Sunday evening video address. “That means after the terrorist strikes on Friday, we have results already for nine million of our people.”

Ukraine also said that it was ready for all possible defence scenarios against Moscow and its ally Belarus, as Russia’s Vladimir Putin headed to Belarus and Russian troops stationed there prepared to conduct exercises. It is not immediately clear when and where in Belarus the exercises will be conducted.

Where the war goes next is uncertain, but it’s pretty sure that Russia and Ukraine will continue warring into the new year.

With inputs from agencies

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