For first time since start of war, half of Russians do not consider invasion of Ukraine successful – Russian media
For the first time since the start of the full-scale war, only half of Russian citizens consider the invasion of Ukraine successful. At the same time, the share of Russians openly stating that they do not support the war has risen to a record high.
This was reported by The Moscow Times, citing the results of a survey conducted by Russia’s Levada Center, Censor.NET reports.
According to the survey, in July 2026, only 8% of respondents described the war as "very successful" – the lowest figure recorded since polling began. Another 42% assessed it as "rather successful." Meanwhile, 8% consider the invasion "very unsuccessful," 20% "rather unsuccessful," while another 22% were unable to answer.
The proportion of Russians who said they "rather do not support" or "do not support at all" the actions of the Russian army in Ukraine also reached a record high of 21%. The share of those who "definitely support" the war fell to 34%, compared with more than 50% at the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
The Moscow Times notes that public sentiment has been affected by Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries and logistics centres, the fuel crisis, attacks on warehouses belonging to Russian online marketplaces, and rumours of a possible new wave of mobilisation.
According to experts, the war is increasingly intruding into Russians’ everyday lives, intensifying uncertainty and undermining confidence in the Kremlin’s ability to achieve its stated objectives. At the same time, analysts emphasise that the Russian authorities still have powerful mechanisms for controlling society at their disposal, including censorship, digital surveillance and the repressive apparatus.
