Russians resign themselves to Ukrainian drone attacks: "What can we do?"

MoscowIn the large Russian metropolises, there are no air-raid shelters, no emergency protocols, the sirens do not sound when drones approach. People film from home, between fascination and unreality, as the aircraft fly over buildings with unsettling parsimony until they crash. No one wants to think that these explosions could affect their apartment or that they could be the next victims. In the fifth summer of the war, the bulk of Russian urban society refuses to accept that it is at war, even though it is increasingly difficult for the Kremlin to hide the ravages of the conflict within its cities.

The inhabitants have had to get used to frequent internet outagesIn Saint Petersburg, for the second consecutive year, the traditional naval parade at the end of July has been cancelled. Residents have had to get used to frequent internet outages and airport restrictions, which could not prevent drones from spoiling the opening of Putin's international economic forum and darkening the city's sky in early June. Now the governor of Leningrad hopes these inconveniences will not hinder tourism, and therefore has announced that he will distribute paper maps to visitors.

discarding negotiations and betting on achieving their objectives through military meansSociologists describe this process of “normalization” as a dissociation mechanism for citizens when they find themselves at the mercy of danger. “When drones hit houses in Moscow, from the outside it might seem to us that, finally, people should be alerted and understand everything, but that is not the case — explains Viktor Vakhxtain to ARA —. They cannot notice that they have it in front of their eyes because, if they became aware of it, they would see their existence threatened, it would be incompatible with their lives”, he concludes. 

Also in statements to this newspaper, sociologist Aleksei Levinson, who has recently visited Russian regions to analyze how these types of incidents are experienced there, explains that he has not found any panic reactions. “People are scared for the first two days”, he recalls. According to him, the population does not understand the current situation as a war because it does not fit with their idea of the generations who suffered the German invasion in 1941. “War is horror: you have to flee, you have to hide your children, seal the windows with paper, go to a shelter… This parallelism does not exist, it is not perceived in the same way”, he assures.

Few prospects for peace

This dissociation also explains that the monitoring of events on the front by the Russians remains at the lowest levels since the beginning of the conflict. According to the latest survey by the Levada Center, 45% of citizens are following the news from the front line, a figure that has practically not changed since the beginning of the year. At the same time, support for a negotiated solution to the war is slightly falling. If at the end of 2025, 67% were in favor of starting dialogue immediately, now 60% defend this option.

Despite this, the majority demand for peace, almost always on Russian terms, shows that war fatigue is still predominant in society. However, Vladimir Putin's latest statements, ruling out negotiations and betting on achieving his objectives militarily influence people's moods. Igor, the Ukraine veteran, wants no agreement. "We must crush all the Nazis that remain and then victory will come," he insists. Another neighbor, Yulia, also does not see a peaceful way out. "If Zelensky intends to continue, there will be no peace. It's a pity for our boys, who die for nothing," she concludes.