Only one-third of Russians would reverse Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, survey shows

Only 35% of Russian citizens would reverse Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to the results of a new survey conducted by the Russian Field sociological company on June 16-19.

Nearly half – 49% – of Russians would not reverse course, and would still support the launch of the invasion – despite the events unleashed since, which have included war crimes against Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, and ecocide via the destruction of the Kakhovka dam and reservoir.

Moreover, nearly two-thirds of Russians would support a fresh assault by the Russian military on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

Read also: Global disapproval of Putin's actions reaches a 15-year high, survey shows

Present opposition to the war, though still low, is at its highest since Putin announced the launch of his “Special Military Operation” (Kremlin propaganda terminology for Russia’s war on Ukraine) to carry out regime change in Ukraine.

During the first months of the full-scale war, between 26% to 28% of respondents said they opposed the decision to attack Ukraine, compared to 33% in December 2022.

The Russian sociologists said they believed that such indicators demonstrate “the greatest ambiguity of respondents’ opinions on this issue for the whole period of observation.”

Anti-war sentiment in Russia mostly prevails among young people aged 18 to 24, while support for the war is most popular among men aged 45 and older, the survey shows.

Read also: Over 80% of Ukrainians oppose territorial concessions, even at risk of protracted war — poll

At the same time, the level of support for Putin’s possible decision to launch a new offensive against Kyiv is the highest among Russians since July 2022, at 64%. Among them, almost three-quarters (74%) consider the course of the full-scale war against Ukraine to be “successful.”

The poll was conducted by phone, with 1,604 Russian citizens being quizzed on their views.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine