Russian TV and Kremlin photographers have captured Putin in various settings: donning a judo gi while subduing opponents, engaging in hockey where he scores goals, riding horses bare-chested, and participating in hunting, fishing, and swimming.
Despite his role as Russia’s commander-in-chief, Putin has rarely appeared in public in a military uniform — until Wednesday, when he was seen in green camouflage at a command post in the Kursk region, alongside Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov.
This was the first indication that Putin was bringing an end to one of the most humiliating phases of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and his tenure.
Last August, Ukrainian forces had occupied extensive territories in Kursk, and for 215 days, controlled the largest town and its surroundings, marking the first foreign occupation of European Russia since World War II, contrary to Putin’s earlier boasts of quickly capturing Kyiv.
Scratching back, Russian forces, with aid from North Korean troops, recaptured Sudzha. However, Ukrainian forces continue to hold several villages along the western border of Kursk.
Putin’s visit to Kursk, his first since the occupation, carried significant symbolism beyond the embarrassment of Kursk. His attire was also perceived as a firm rejection of the US-Ukraine-agreed-upon ceasefire deal from talks in Riyadh the previous day.
Though some view his military attire as a non-verbal communication of an “alternative” stance, others see it as a message emphasizing Putin’s role as the supreme commander and the “direct head of the armed forces of a nation at war.”
Previously, Putin donned military-like attire only once, during military drills in 2022, when he wore a navy jacket, and explanations from the Kremlin focused on the cold, windy weather rather than any illustrative message.
In Kyiv, there was speculation that the uniform underlined Putin’s disinterest in peace initiatives and his intention to wage on and win in Ukraine. The attire seemed to communicate that Putin is resolute in his military efforts and that the battlefield, not distant negotiations, is where Russia’s fate is being decided.
Ukrainians responded with black humor, drawing attention to Putin’s tired and ill-fitting appearance compared to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s similar green fatigues, which have become iconic.
Analysts argue the uniform also signals the importance of reclaiming Kursk before any peace talks begin, and it reflects Putin’s long-held vision of Ukrainian subjugation. Putin’s subsequent delayed response to a US-Ukrainian ceasefire proposal, cloaked in conditions and doubts, further reinforced this stance.
