Russian Poll Says 81% Of Russians Now Support War

The New York Times reports:

The stream of antiwar letters to a St. Petersburg lawmaker has dried up. Some Russians who had criticized the Kremlin have turned into cheerleaders for the war. Those who publicly oppose it have found the word “traitor” scrawled on their apartment door.

Polls and interviews show that many Russians now accept Mr. Putin’s contention that their country is under siege from the West and had no choice but to attack. The war’s opponents are leaving the country or keeping quiet.

Polls released this week by Russia’s most respected independent pollster, Levada, showed Mr. Putin’s approval rating hitting 83 percent, up from 69 percent in January. Eighty-one percent said they supported the war, describing the need to protect Russian speakers as its primary justification.

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“We are in a time machine, hurtling into the glorious past.” Russian society is coming to accept war, helped by 15 hours a day of propaganda programming on Channel 1. With @INechepurenko & @vsaffron https://t.co/Edk6ec4TWB

— Anton Troianovski (@antontroian) April 1, 2022