The Main Political Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense released a new political training journal for the army named "Politruk" on May 22. This journal aims to assist political commissars in the political indoctrination of soldiers, reports the British Ministry of Defense on Twitter.
According to the British intelligence update, an introductory article by Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General Viktor Goremykin, who heads the directorate, clearly shows that the new journal heavily relies on the legacy of Soviet-era military publications aimed at political education of service members.
British intelligence notes that the Main Political Directorate was re-established in 2018, reflecting a perceived need to reintroduce political education in the army. Goremykin quotes Stalin on the importance of political education for soldiers and the necessity to hate the enemy. The journal emphasizes that the enemy in Ukraine today is the same as the one the Soviet Union fought against, specifically "Nazis." A map of Ukraine published in the journal is used to question the legitimacy of Ukrainian statehood, thereby justifying the invasion.
"The magazine reflects the politicized use of history that has become a prominent feature of Russian educational policy in recent years, particularly since the invasion of Ukraine, and continues to propagate false narratives used by Russia to further influence its military and general population," the British Ministry of Defense highlights.
