Pseudo-elections in the TOT: russia’s “brainwashing” through urban projects
Ahead of the so-called state duma elections, russian propaganda is staging publicity campaigns in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine aimed at creating the illusion that the population of the «new regions» is being cared for.
▫️ Propaganda outlets in the TOT are currently actively promoting the results of a so-called «competition for the best projects to create a comfortable urban environment for the reunited and border areas». The project was reportedly founded by putin’s «united russia» party, which, according to the kremlin’s plan, is expected to «win» the elections.
The occupiers boast that federal funds will be allocated for several winning projects to develop parks, public squares and children’s playgrounds. However, this by no means guarantees that these projects will actually be implemented.
The purely propagandistic nature of the project is also evident from the fact that relatively inexpensive public squares and children’s playgrounds are being planned for pre-election publicity, while genuinely vital issues remain unresolved in the TOT. Homes, industrial enterprises and other infrastructure have been destroyed in occupied cities and villages, there are enormous problems with water supply, a lack of jobs, and so on. But the kremlin uses the occupied territories of Ukraine to create a propaganda picture, without caring about people’s real lives.
