Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine has brought unprecedented destruction to Ukraine and cemented Russia’s role as a revanchist and imperial actor on the international stage. To this end, the Kremlin has sought to mobilize the Russian public into the war effort both through a wide-ranging domestic and international propaganda campaign and through brutal crackdowns on anti-war dissent inside its borders. Facing growing sanctions and international ostracization, many Russians remaining in Russia nevertheless continue to tolerate—if not openly support—Putin and his government.

The latest report in the Atlantic Council’s Russia Tomorrow series, The reluctant consensus: War and Russia’s public opinion, by author Maria Snegovaya, assesses Russian society’s consolidation around Russia’s war on Ukraine, the origin of the “Putin consensus” among the Russian public, and public perceptions of the war among Russians.

Throughout the paper, Snegovaya explores the demographics among those in Russia supporting Putin’s war on Ukraine and the generational trends of the Russian public’s media consumption and attitudes towards pro-Kremlin narratives. Snegovaya also discusses the viability of Russian polling and addresses frequently raised concerns about contemporary polling data in Russia.

What impact has Russia’s war on Ukraine had on Russian public perception of Putin and Russian government institutions? How do different demographic groups in Russia differ in their support and enthusiasm for Putin’s war on Ukraine? What can pro-democracy groups and organizations do to encourage Russians to challenge Kremlin revanchist propaganda and the pro-war status quo?