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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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| Information | | |
Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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08Mar22
Yet not everyone in Russia subscribes to the Kremlin's line
"I am against this war. Putin is hiding his personal ambitions with propaganda slogans. Essentially he is an occupier," said Pavel, a young video editor from Saint Petersburg.
According to the same government survey, about half of Russians under 30 do not support the invasion of Ukraine. Most of them have Western-oriented, liberal views and use the internet to get information.
Some are already leaving or considering leaving out of fear of growing repression and economic turmoil. Others are bravely challenging the authorities' crackdown, gathering in city squares across the country to protest the invasion. Over 13,500 protesters have already been detained all over Russia since the conflict started.
"It is not safe to be here, anything can happen now. I may be forced to serve in the army," said Pavel, who is about to leave the country for Armenia, leaving his wife and newborn son in Saint Petersburg. They will join him later once they get the necessary documents, he hopes.
"Things are getting very bad, no one is going to benefit from this," said Pavel.
Analysts agree that the above-mentioned survey results should be taken with a pinch of salt. According to political analyst Abbas Galliamov, most Russians are still processing the idea that Russia is fighting its neighbor, with which it shares deep historical and cultural bonds.
"Public opinion is still under shock," Galliamov said.
Considering the growing level of repression and government censorship, real support for the military operation in Ukraine is likely to be lower than indicated in the polls.
Authorities have been cracking down on independent media and all kinds of dissent, online and offline, is being persecuted. A recently approved law introduces jail terms for people who spread broadly defined "fake information" on the operation in Ukraine.
"When the majority of the population is afraid of reprisals and authorities' arbitrariness, they are no longer willing to express a critical point of view," pointed out Galliamov.
The "rally around the flag" rhetoric is effective in creating consensus in the short term, but unlikely to be sustainable for long, he says. Unlike the bloodless blitzkrieg in Crimea, Russia's current military operation will be far more costly both in terms of casualties and financial fallout.
"As the military operation drags on, as the economic difficulties will grow, the level of support will sharply decrease," predicted Galliamov.
[Source: By Oleg Smirnov, Asia Times, Hong Kong, 08Mar22]
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