PR man appointed Kursk governor

Russia’s Kursk Region, partially occupied by Ukrainian forces, has got its second new governor in under a year. The Russian army has failed to recapture the region since Ukrainian troops stormed across the border in August, and it faces a social catastrophe which has forced residents into rare public protest. The region’s new leader is Alexander Khinshtein, a high-profile politician who has, in recent weeks, proved more popular than several parliamentary old-timers.

• It’s rare for the appointment of a Russian governor to make international headlines, but Khinshtein’s case is an exception. Partially occupied, the western border region is currently the most sensitive in the whole country for the Kremlin. Russian troops are trying to chase Ukrainian forces out, while Kyiv’s troops, in turn, have been ordered to hold their positions at all costs ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. If they succeed, control over the region could be an important card Ukraine can play in any ceasefire negotiations.
• For the local Russian authorities, the humanitarian situation in the Kursk region remains difficult. More than 100,000 residents from along the Ukrainian border had to leave their homes and move to temporary accommodation centers or rented apartments. Dozens of displaced persons voiced their anger in November at the perceived sluggishness with which the authorities are issuing housing certificates to compensate them for buying new homes. Residents are alsocomplaining that they have not received promised support payments of up to $1,500 for those who lost or had their houses partly damaged. It appears the Kremlin felt the previous governor Alexei Smirnov, in post for barely 200 days, was unable to cope with the task. Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov indirectly confirmed this, saying Khinshtein was appointed acting governor due to the need for “crisis management” in the region. 
• Khinshtein, who heads the State Duma’s information committee, has been almost more visible than the parliament’s speaker Vyacheslav Volodin over recent months. Khinshtein announced the slowdown of YouTube, published and then became the leading advocate of the latest law on LGBT propaganda, and was the main spokesman for laws toughening the foreign agent framework. Moreover, his public comments indicate he is operating as a PR-man for Viktor Zolotov, commander of the National Guard.

Why the world should care

The head of the Kursk region is one of the few Russian governor positions which comes with a federal profile and the ear of Vladimir Putin. The example of Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the neighboring Belgorod Region which comes under frequent Ukrainian shelling and drone attacks, is an indicative case. By the end of 2023 he was among the top 10 most mentioned politicians in Russian media — ahead of several notable figures, including ex-president and vocal hawk Dmitry Medvedev. Khinshtein has every opportunity to make himself even more prominent.