War fatigue is growing among the Russian elite and society. 60% of participants in closed surveys want an end to fighting - Farida Rustamova

60% of participants in closed surveys want an end to fighting - Farida Rustamova

The Russian elite and society are growing tired of the war in Ukraine. Journalist Farida Rustamova writes about this, citing sources in Moscow and closed polls ordered by Russian officials.

🔵 Details . According to one official, “everyone is tired of the war.” He described the situation at the front as a dead end: “Everything seemed to be stuck in some kind of jelly - neither forward nor backward.” At the same time, according to him, Russian advances at the front are increasingly being blocked by Ukrainian drone strikes.

🔵 Unity of elites and Russians . According to closed surveys, more than 60% of respondents are tired of war. One sociologist familiar with the research said there is a growing number of people willing to accept a "non-victory" outcome of the war. At the same time, we are not talking about the growth of anti-war sentiment or sympathy for Ukrainians. Among the elites, according to Rustamova’s sources, there is also an increasingly noticeable demand for ending the war.

At the same time, some elites doubt whether Putin himself knows what to do next. He said “nobody understands what the war plan is” and the future looks uncertain.

🔵 Other signs . Public signals indicate similar sentiments. Military analyst Vasily Kashin and former Kremlin employee Alexei Chadayev wrote almost simultaneously about the need to end hostilities. The journalist's sources believe that these publications were not an accident and reflect a position that is becoming increasingly common among officials, businesses and part of the media elite.

Public polls also show increased demand for negotiations. According to Russian Field data for February, 53% of Russians supported negotiations with Kiev - this is a record figure for the entire period of observation. According to the latest data from the Levada Center, 62% of Russians believe that it is time to move on to peace negotiations.

🔵 Reasons . The journalist's interlocutors attribute the increase in fatigue to economic problems, the failure of negotiations with Washington, increased repression, the lack of noticeable progress at the front and fears of a new mobilization. Another factor was the increasing frequency of Ukrainian attacks on Russian regions.

🔵 Will this stop the war? Unlikely. There is no sign that growing fatigue in Russia will hasten the end of the conflict - or, especially, that Moscow or Kyiv are seeking compromise, the journalist writes.