Recent arrests suggest Putin is quietly trying to rein in some of his most effective promoters of the war in Ukraine

• The Putin regime has leaned heavily on propaganda to rally support for its war in Ukraine.
• In doing so, it has come to rely on military bloggers to spread its message and back its efforts.
• But some milbloggers have gained a level of influence that Putin may not be so keen about.

The Russian government appears to be cracking down on milbloggers — even if many of those military-focused bloggers actually support Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

While these blogs are a useful propaganda tool to drum up public support for the war, their vigorous criticisms of mistakes in Ukraine could undermine support for Vladimir Putin's regime. Several prominent bloggers have been arrested, a hint of the extent of the Kremlin's concern.