ISW: Russia calls relatives of Ukrainian PoWs to foment discontent. They have succeeded before

Russian actors are attempting to use relatives of Ukrainian prisoners of war to foment internal discontent in Ukraine. Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW) Details: Military analysts suggest that it is likely that the Russians are doing this as part of the Maidan-3 information campaign.

On 16 March, Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, said that unidentified Russian actors were calling relatives of Ukrainian prisoners of war and claiming that Russia was ready to return them, but that the Ukrainian leadership was preventing this.

The Russian actors are reportedly calling on the relatives to protest this. Lubinets stated that Ukraine has never stopped exchanging prisoners of war. These Russian information operations are likely part of the Maidan-3 information campaign previously reported by Ukraine's Security Service.

The Russians aim to sow internal discontent in Ukraine and drive a wedge between the civilian population and the military and political leadership.

ISW noted that Russia has successfully used information operations, including direct correspondence via mobile phones with Ukrainian civilians, to foment violent protests in Ukraine in the past.

To quote the ISW's Key Takeaways on 16 March:

• The Ukrainian State Security Service (SBU) reportedly conducted a series of successful drone strikes against three Russian oil refineries in Samara Oblast on 16 March.
• All-Russian pro-Ukrainian volunteers continue limited cross-border raids into Belgorod and Kursk oblasts.
• Russian authorities appointed Boris Kovalchuk, the son of Russian President Vladimir Putin's reported "personal banker" Yuri Kovalchuk, to a position within the Russian Presidential Administration.
• Russian authorities threatened Russian election disruptors and some Russian citizens' continued attempts to disrupt voting in the Russian presidential election on 16 March.
• Group of Seven (G7) countries issued a joint statement on 15 March warning Iran against transferring ballistic missiles or related technology to Russia.
• Russian forces made confirmed advances near Avdiivka and in the Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia Oblast border area.
• A Russian insider source claimed on 16 March that Rosgvardia Director Viktor Zolotov revoked a reported agreement allowing former Wagner Group units to operate independently within Rosgvardia.

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