How is Russia faring after ten months of war?
Almost ten months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, neither a diplomatic solution nor a clear military outcome to the conflict is in sight. Observers examine how the war is affecting the mood and attitude of people in Russia.
A country in the grips of suicidal mass psychosis
Exiled documentary filmmaker Andrei Loshak sees Russia descending into chaos and madness. He writes on Facebook:
“I now look at events in my home country in a different way: Russia is a kind of creepy reality show where millions of people in a state of mass psychosis have gathered around a crazy cult leader and decided to collectively commit suicide (trying to drag as many people as possible, preferably all of humanity, into the inferno with them). ... Madness of this scale is unstoppable. This is now a matter for foreign armies and governments - while all we can to do is observe and document as the country falls into darkness.”
Burnout
Sociologist Lyubov Borusyak interviewed 1,300 war opponents who have stayed in Russia - and found them in a frustrated, phlegmatic state. He writes in Holod:
“One of the main reasons for this grave condition is the disappearance of a planning horizon. People simply don't know what will happen to them next. ... They accept whatever comes their way - this is also a sign of fatigue. Before 24 February, few believed in the possibility of war. Mobilisation was considered possible, but rather theoretical. Then came the hard realisation: anything is possible. If you ask people how they feel, they usually say that they no longer have any strong emotions, that everything in their soul has been extinguished and that they can no longer get upset about anything.”
War at any price
Vladimir Putin is counting on inflicting maximum damage, writes the SonntagsZeitung:
“Already on 10 October, 17 October, 31 October, 15 November, 23 November, 5 December and 16 December, General Surovikin fired lots of missiles at Ukraine, and he will do it again. Putin is willing to continue the war at any price. He raised the budget for the war by [sic, to] 143 billion dollars last week. Even if Putin can't force a victory, he will certainly bomb Ukraine into the poorhouse. We will see many more starving and freezing people, not just now, but probably for many years to come.”