Russian soldiers perform at a festival in Moscow in 2016
(Picture: Getty Images)Russia is sending musicians and circus performers to the front lines in Ukraine in a bid to boost fragile morale.
The Russian ministry of defence said the entertainers would form “two frontline creative brigades” and focus on providing “moral, political and psychological support”.
The tactic has been taken from the Red Army, which deployed 2,000 “creative brigades” to boost morale in the Second World War.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence said the efforts of the newly established brigade were “unlikely to substantively alleviate” problems with morale.
A spokesman added: “Fragile morale almost certainly continues to be a significant vulnerability across much of the Russian force.
“However, soldiers’ concerns primarily focus on very high casualty rates, poor leadership, pay problems, lack of equipment and ammunition, and lack of clarity about the war’s objectives.”
The creation of the brigade comes after a recent campaign by the Russian ministry to encourage the public to donate musical instruments to its soldiers in Ukraine.
According to the Russian outlet RBC news, the brigade will consist of troops mobilised under Vladimir Putin’s recruitment drive, as well as “professional artists who voluntarily entered military service”.
It comes as waves of Russian drone and missile attacks since October have caused severe damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as it enters the cold winter months.
Russia fired more than 70 missiles targeting water and energy infrastructure on Friday in one of its heaviest barrages since the beginning of the war.
