After the attack on Crocus City Hall, the Russian authorities will step up the rhetoric about alleged Western and Ukrainian threats to gain more domestic support for the war in Ukraine. This was written by analysts of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), UNN reports.
Details
It is noted that Russian officials are linking the United States and the West to a broader set of "terrorist" attacks against Russia following the attack on Crocus City Hall, which is likely to increase rhetoric about perceived Western and Ukrainian threats in order to gain more domestic support for the war in Ukraine.
On March 27, the Russian Investigative Committee and the General Prosecutor's Office announced that they would consider an appeal from the State Duma to investigate the US and Western financing and organization of terrorist attacks against Russia.
The Russian Investigative Committee, the Prosecutor General's Office, and the Duma deputies who made the appeal did not directly refer to the attack at Crocus City Hall. However, Kremlin officials have previously linked Ukraine and the West to the attack on Crocus City Hall, but have yet to make formal accusations, and the Kremlin may refrain from making formal accusations as all available evidence continues to point to the Islamic State as likely responsible for the attack.
The Kremlin is likely seeking to capitalize on broader social fears and anger among Russians following the Crocus City Hall attack by portraying Ukraine, the United States, and the West as immediate terrorist threats
The Kremlin likely hopes that the perception of Ukrainian and Western involvement in the Crocus City Hall attack will increase domestic support for the war in Ukraine, and Russian officials may invoke a broader understanding of what they consider terrorism to continue to portray Ukrainians as terrorists and the West as a sponsor of terrorism.
The Kremlin can still officially accuse Ukraine of organizing the attack in Crocus City Hall if it believes that other information efforts are not sufficient to provoke the desired reaction in the country.