In a presidential decree, Putin established a new directorate within the military that will be responsible for “military-patriotic” affairs, including that of the country’s military youth organization. The army has become increasingly influential in political affairs since the 2014 annexation of Crimea, and the new directorate harkens back to a Soviet era when a similar organization worked to instill the loyalty to the Party and Communist cause across the ranks.
Source: In Soviet echo, Putin gives Russian army a political wing | Reuters