The Russia-Ukraine conflict has turned into a war of attrition, which indisputably challenges the patience and perseverance of the peoples of both countries. The vacillation of public opinion could have a decisive impact on the outcome of the war.
Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's defense council, said last year that more and more people support peace talks with Russia, which poses a huge threat to Ukraine.
According to Wu Dahui's headlines, the Russian Field research team released the results of an October poll on November 15, showing that for the first time since the start of the war, more than half of Russians support peace talks with Ukraine rather than continue fighting.
The October poll by the Russian Field research group showed:
Survey sample: more than 1,600 Russians.
Percentage of those who support peace negotiations: 48%.
Percentage of those who support continuing the war: 39% (with more support for men over 45 years old and financially stable).
Percentage of those who support the immediate signing of a peace agreement: 74%.
The main ways to achieve a peace treaty:
Restore peace, stop the bloodshed: 10%.
Surrender of Ukraine: 6%.
Return of Russia to the borders of 1991: 3%.
Is the military going well:
Smooth: 56%.
Not going well: 25%.
The most common negative reviews come from Russians aged 30-44.
The audience of Telegram channels, which believe that the Russian special military operation may fail, is twice as large as the TV audience.
Despite the limited sample size, the poll results may reveal something important:
The desire for peace among Russians is growing: 48% support peace talks, and 74% support the immediate signing of a peace agreement.
The correlation between age and attitudes toward war is worth noting:
Economically stable men over the age of 45 are more likely to continue the war, probably because they have deep memories of the Soviet Union's heyday and belong to a vested interest group in Russian society.
Russians aged 30-44 have more negative views of the war, probably because they lived through the turbulent period that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and are still in the conscription age range.
The inconsistencies between the information on the telegraph channels and on television have led to a significant discrepancy in the perception of the possible failure of the Russian special military operation.
For the first time, the percentage of Russians in favor of peace talks with Ukraine exceeds those who support continued fighting, a poll that is alarming. This is not good news for a side in a war of attrition.