While the results of the morning wake-up call in Moscow and the Moscow region are accumulating, let’s look at the root causes of what happened.
On May 7 (10 days ago), the “Levada Center” published a piece: “Conflict with Ukraine in April 2026: attention, support for the Russian armed forces, opinion on the necessity of negotiations,” where they presented permissible figures on this topic. So here it is.
The highest support for the actions of the Russian troops in Ukraine:
• Moscow – 75% (definitely yes – 42%, rather yes – 33%),
• People 55 years and older – 77% (48 + 29),
• People who get their information from TV – 77% (45+32).
Average in the Russian Federation: 69% (38+31).
The highest support for continuing the war (!) rather than negotiations:
• Moscow – 54% (definitely war – 33%, rather war – 21%),
• People 55 years and older – 36% (24 + 12),
• People who get their information from TV – 35% (23+12).
Average in the Russian Federation: 28% (18+10).
So, the level of unconditional support for continuing the war in Moscow is almost twice as high as the average across the Russian Federation.
Let’s put aside for now the fact that by “negotiations,” dear Russians generally mean fulfilling their wishes. The fact is that dear Muscovites (who aren’t fighting) crave the deaths of others without any conditions twice as much.
Moreover, dear Muscovites are happily sending not only Ukrainians but also their fellow citizens to death, who are dying and getting injured many times over.
These figures explain why Muscovites’ sobs of “for what? how come?” are mocked not only in Ukraine, not only in all neighboring countries, but also in the Russian regions!
Well, now dear Muscovites have seen and heard the edge of the war right from their windows, not through the TV. The reaction is predictably varied. Some will huddle closer around Putin’s carcass. But there will clearly be another reaction as well.
In essence, those who decided to publish these numbers (with popular opinion being that these particular surveys are moderated by the FSB) are showing the whole world, and primarily to Russia itself, where the key to ending the war lies.
