Russian Attitudes Towards the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

The Russian Population

• According to a recent article by Kyiv Post, a survey conducted by the Levada Analytical Centre in October 2023 found that 70% of the Russian population would support Vladimir Putin if he decided to end the war in Ukraine now.

• Yet, only 34% of the Russian population would endorse this action if bringing an end to the war entailed the return of all occupied Ukrainian territories.

• According to the survey, in a hypothetical scenario of turning back time, just 41% of respondents would choose not to initiate the war in 2022.

Changing Understanding of Russia's Mission

• Kyiv Post notes that, in February 2022, 30% of the Russian population believed that the reason Russia invaded Ukraine was to prevent an attack on Russia and to secure its borders, 27% thought that Russia was attempting to "protect" Russian speakers in the Donbas, and only 12% believed that the invasion's main goal was to "eradicate fascism" in Ukraine.

• By October 2023, 25% of the Russian population thought the reason for the invasion was to "liberate" the Donbas and "protect" the Russian speakers, 14% believed the invasion's goal was to "eradicate fascism", and 13% of respondents said it was in response to "aggression" by Ukraine and Western countries.

Returning Ukrainian Land for Peace

• The proportion of the Russian population who believe that negotiations should be started has increased from 51% in September to 55%, while the percentage of those endorsing the continuation of hostilities saw a slight decrease, dropping from 39% in September to 38%.

• Kyiv Post points out that 67% of the Russian population believed that the return of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions back to Ukraine would be an unacceptable condition for negotiations with 71% feeling the same about the return of occupied Luhansk and Donetsk.