Journalist Zolkin, who has been 'interrogating' invaders for three years, said he is still struck by Russians.

Ukrainian journalist and blogger Volodymyr Zolkin stated that many Russian prisoners of war do not understand who is to blame for their situation and cannot discuss Putin's politics. They believe that the army is bad, but Putin is a good tsar, and his boyars are bad. According to Zolkin, this indicates a deep mental dependence of Russians on propaganda, which creates the image of an unshakable leader. Some prisoners who returned to Russia invent myths about life in captivity but do not mention Zolkin to avoid drawing attention to his resources.

Mobilization potential of the Russian Federation

The European Center for Analysis and Strategy claims that over seven million Russians may be willing to participate in the war against Ukraine. This constitutes 29.6% of the population who consider voluntary participation, and 13.2% who are ready to fight against Ukraine immediately. Others are only willing to fight under certain conditions, such as payments or support from relatives.

Surveys have shown that most residents of Moscow, who have hardly been affected by Putin's aggression against Ukraine, support the continuation of the war. However, more than 60% of rural residents are more inclined towards peace negotiations.