The Kremlin published information about Vladimir Putin's conversation with Abdulaziz Shikhabidov, commander of the 76th Guards of the Desert Storm Division. The problem is that the same character was previously described by Russian sources as being killed on the front. For Poland, the lesson is simple: the Russian war device fights with artillery and a image of the force that must be ruthlessly verified.
Kremlin shows conversation with front
Official service Kremlin reported that Vladimir Putin held on 6 August telephone conversation with Guardian Colonel Abdulaziz Shikhabidov, presented as the commander of the 76th Guards of the Desert Storm Division. The Russian leader was to ask about the situation in the Dobpilian direction, that is, in a sector that fits into the conflict for a southwest approach to the Ukrainian defensive belt in Donbasa.
It looked like a control show on the paper. Putin as commander-in-chief, elite unit, study from the front, ensuring the execution of tasks. This is how Russian state propaganda works: it is expected to make the impression that the center knows everything, the army goes as planned, and the war against Ukraine is an orderly operation.
Except this painting broke almost immediately. The Institute for the survey of War pointed out that the man portrayed as Shikhabidov had previously been described by many Russian sources as having been killed in May 2025. The ISW besides indicated that the current division commander was to be Denis Shishov, and Putin himself did not identify the interviewer by name.
Problem with name and authenticity
It's not a insignificant office awkwardness. If the Kremlin publishes a conversation between the president and the commander of the front unit, it wants the planet to treat it as evidence of perp. erstwhile the question arises whether the interviewer is who he was portrayed for, it strikes the very core of the message.
You should be precise. There is no public authoritative confirmation that Shikhabidov actually died in 2025. There were reports of Russian channels, media, and local traces of memory that indicated his death. Ukrainian Military Service wrote in May 2025 about the death of the commander of the 76th division, and later materials reminded of school memorials in Dagestan and entries that were to vanish from the network.
That's why it's so embarrassing for Moscow. Even if earlier information on death was wrong, propaganda itself fell into credibility. The Russian state has been mixing military communications, semi-official leaks, war channels and controlled media for years. erstwhile this mixture starts to bite itself, you can see the price of a war conducted besides at the level of lying and intimidation.
Direction Pokrowsk and Dobropillia
There's a real military stake behind all the fuss. The ISW estimated that Putin's conversation with the commander of the unit operating in the Dobropillia area indicated the precedence of Russian activities in the Pokrovska and Dobropillia sectors. It is an effort to bypass the Ukrainian defensive belt in the Donetsk region from the south-west.
According to data cited by The fresh Voice of Ukraine for the ISW, Russian forces in the area of Dobropillia lost 2.23 sq mi in June 2026, after which they gained 34.67 sq mi in July.. In the Pokrowska region, they were to lose 3.12 sq mi in June, and in July to advance by 45.96 sq mi. These numbers are crucial due to the fact that they show front pressure, but do not confirm the Russian communicative of a fast break.
The ISW besides found the remainder of the Donetsk Oblast to be highly unrealistic until December 31, 2026. Moscow can decision propaganda maps, but geography, logistics and the rate of attack are tougher than messages. DN has already written that Putin always escalates erstwhile he feels opposition and seeks intellectual pressure. This mechanics besides works here.
Russian elite and cost of false image
76. The defender Squadron is simply a formation considered by Russia to be elite. Its name is to be respected, and the study to Putin is to show continuity of command. But the war in Ukraine exposes Russian troops in another way: through large losses, brutality towards civilians, mediocre transparency and obsession to keep the story of the infallible center.
For Poland this is an crucial warning. Russia is not a average neighbor, with whom just sign another paper. This is simply a country that can cover real problems with a show of loyalty. erstwhile the Kremlin has problems with the credibility of its own message about talking to the commander, this does not automatically mean the weakness of the full army. It means that Russian communications must be treated as a tool of war, not as press information.
Polish safety policy must draw a applicable conclusion from this. We request our own recognition, informational resilience, and an army capable of deterring an aggressor, not calming formulas from Western salons. The same erstwhile Ukraine is under rocket and drone fire., it is not adequate to read messages. You gotta realize what your opponent wants to accomplish psychologically.
Puenta for Warsaw
In this story, the most crucial thing is not to gag about the Kremlin's propaganda accident. The crucial thing is that the Russian government strategy is trying to sale the planet a image of full control even erstwhile the details rise serious questions. A lie empire doesn't become any little dangerous due to the fact that it sometimes confuses its own names.
Poland cannot afford neither to underestimate Russia nor to submit to its narrations. You gotta look cool: Kremlin wants to show effectiveness, ISW indicates doubts, the front remains heavy, and the stakes for us are the safety of the east flank. National realism begins with 1 instinct: not to believe Moscow at the word.
Sources: Kremlin, "Telephone conversation with Guards Colonel Abdulaziz Shikhabidov"; Institute for the survey of War, "Russian Offensive run Assessment, August 7, 2026"; The fresh Voice of Ukraine for ISW; Militarnyi, "Pskov division commander Abdulaziz Shikhabidov killed in Ukraine".
