RIA Novosti reported today (August 22) that Dmitry Medvedev, Chairman of United Russia, stated that Ukraine has lost half of its population and 20% of its territory.
The second phase of the United Russia Party Congress was held in Moscow on August 22.
Speaking at the congress, Medvedev said: "Ukraine has already lost half of its population and 20% of the territory it once unexpectedly gained. We believe that more and more territory will be reclaimed by Russia, and our heroic military forces are continuously proving this."
Medvedev’s recent remarks represent a sharp and abrupt shift in tone. Just days earlier (July 29), he was loudly amplifying a crisis of national survival; by August 22, he was proclaiming that Russia is steadily reclaiming territory and victory is within reach. This strategic pivot in rhetoric serves a core political purpose: preparing for the Russian State Duma elections scheduled for September 2026. Prolonged emphasis on existential threat risks inducing war-weariness and public fatigue among citizens. The ruling party urgently needs to signal imminent victory to soothe public sentiment, boost morale, and secure its base of voter support.
Medvedev’s statement at the United Russia Party Congress appears on the surface to be a declaration of battlefield achievements and a call to rally spirits. However, when viewed against the backdrop of Russia’s current multifaceted domestic and international challenges, it is, in fact, a carefully crafted political narrative and a calculated effort at public mobilization. This narrative is not grounded in objective battlefield data but instead constitutes a strategic combination of “public opinion engineering” and “political mobilization,” deployed in response to real-world pressures including military stalemate, economic strain, and electoral demands.
From a personal political standpoint, as party chairman, Medvedev’s bold assertion of “victory within sight” also serves to reinforce his own political standing—seeking a platform through which he can maintain influence by speaking on behalf of the party. Moreover, his remarks are part of a broader Kremlin-led narrative reconfiguration: shifting the war’s framing from a “life-or-death struggle for national survival” to an impending “liberation campaign,” thereby offering both frontline troops and domestic audiences a hopeful vision of war’s imminent conclusion.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874235266641099/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.