A growing number of Russians believe the invasion of Ukraine has done their country more harm than good. A survey by the independent Levada Center revealed that in September of this year, almost half of the population thought this way. The number of those who see a benefit in the military operations of the Kremlin army is also decreasing. But everything has a fundamental catch, because the Russians definitely do not want the end of the war at any cost.
See how ordinary Russians answered questions related to aggression in Ukraine in March 2024. | Video: Reuters
According to a recent opinion poll by the Levada think tank, the number of Russians who view the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a move that has done more harm than good is increasing. In September 2024, 47 percent of more than 1,600 respondents were of the opinion that the war is rather hurting the Russian Federation. It was six percent more than in May.
The number of people who see benefits in the conflict fell by ten percent from 38 to 28 percent. The Russians who were approached also more often expressed their approval of a possible end to the war. If Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin decided to end military operations in the week the respondents were polled, 72 percent of them would support his move. But it would be a mistake to conclude from the survey that the residents want peace at any price. If the end of the aggression were linked to the return of the occupied Ukrainian territories, only about a third of the respondents would agree with it, the survey found.
Dissatisfaction with the war is most often expressed by women (55%), young people under the age of 24 (55%) and residents of small towns with less than 100,000 inhabitants (52%).
During interviews with analysts, more than 18 percent of dissatisfied Russians pointed to the country’s worsening economic situation, including massive war spending. Seven percent spoke of deteriorating international relations and five percent expressed dissatisfaction with sanctions. A total of 13 percent of Russians consider war harmful in any situation.
This August, when the Ukrainian army invaded Russia‘s Kursk region, the share of those who support peace talks dropped from 58 percent to 50 percent. By September, however, that share had returned to 54 percent, while those supporting continued military action had dropped to 39 percent.
According to analysts from the Levada Center, public opinion on whether Russia should give way to Ukraine in order to end the military operation and sign a peace agreement has practically not changed. The majority of Russians are against any concessions, while only one in five respondents is willing to accept some compromises.
Desirable conditions for the signing of a peace agreement between the Russians are the exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine, which is supported by 87 percent of respondents, and an immediate ceasefire, which is favored by 60 percent of them.
The results of the survey indicate that Russians are gradually getting tired of the war, Levada Center director Denis Volkov said in a comment for the Agency server. However, he added that there were no “dramatic changes” in sentiment as most Russians could continue to “live their private lives”. “The majority want peace but leave the decision in the hands of the authorities,” he says.
The nationwide survey by the Levada Center was conducted from September 26 to October 2, 2024 on a representative sample of the urban and rural population and included 1,606 people over the age of 18. The survey was conducted in 137 populated areas in 50 regions of Russia through personal interviews in respondents’ homes.
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