Consider This from NPR Four years in, war in Ukraine grinds on. Is that what Russians want?
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Mar 10, 2026 Charles Baines, an NPR reporter based in Moscow who files on-the-ground accounts, describes life in Red Square and provincial towns. He discusses public displays and official messaging, Putin’s WWII framing, and how polls, censorship and local pressures shape apparent support. Scenes of cultural repression and everyday war fatigue also surface in his reporting.
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War Framed As Historic Anti Fascist Mission
- Putin frames the Ukraine invasion as a continuation of WWII memory to legitimize the campaign domestically.
- Charles Baines observed speeches and Red Square imagery linking victory over Nazis to a promised victory in Ukraine, sustaining public narrative.
Maintaining Normalcy Keeps Public Morale Stable
- The Kremlin preserves normalcy to maintain morale despite exhaustion and attrition.
- Sergei Politaev and daily life examples show people still go to work, buy apartments, and socialize while the front endures hardship.
State Polling Creates Illusion Of Overwhelming Support
- Polling in Russia is weaponized by the state to manufacture an illusion of overwhelming support.
- Alexei Mignailo's Chronicles shows people often hide dissent because criticism is criminalized, skewing public metrics.