NYT: Russians' Attitude Towards Putin Worsens

The reason has become known.

Since the AFU launched an operation in Kursk region a fortnight ago, the attitude of Russians to Putin has worsened. This is evidenced by the analysis of social networks and other posts on the Internet.

This is reported by The New York Times.

Referring to the analysis of the FilterLabs AI company, the edition writes that many Internet posts claim that the operation of the AFU is a failure of the Russian government, including that of the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

Since it is difficult to gauge real public opinion in the Russian Federation, FilterLabs monitors comments on social network sites, internet posts and news sites, using a computer model to analyse the sentiments expressed by ordinary Russians.

Thus, according to the analysis, positive attitudes toward Putin were shaken as early as last year, when a military mutiny led by Wagner PMC head Yevgeny Prigozhin took place. But the change in sentiment became sharper in the days after the AFU launched the operation in Kursk region in western Russia.

‘Putin's response to the invasion was seen as inadequate at best and insulting at worst,’ said FilterLabs CEO Jonathan Teubner.

Attitudes toward the Russian dictator reportedly remain more positive in Moscow, where Russia has tighter control over the media and public discourse. But even there, attitudes toward Putin have deteriorated, though not as quickly as in other regions of the country. Disillusionment with the Kremlin is growing in Russia's hinterland, according to the analysis.

U.S. officials have warned that it is too early to judge whether the damage to Putin's reputation will be long-term. They said Putin's credibility in Russia has recovered quickly since Prigozhin ended his rebellion, and the Russian dictator has in turn consistently demonstrated his ability to manipulate public opinion of himself.

Nevertheless, the steady loss of popularity could complicate the Kremlin's ability to wage war in Ukraine. In particular, sentiment towards Putin has plummeted precisely in those regions of the Russian Federation where the Kremlin is concentrating its military recruitment efforts. It has been noted that the Kremlin's recruitment strategy depends on its ability to manage the perception of war.

‘If Putin's prestige and popularity decline in these key regions (especially if Russians feel the war is going badly), it will be more difficult for the Kremlin to replenish its military ranks,’ FilterLabs said in its analysis.

The Kremlin continues to influence the way Russia's national media cover the war, with few outlets publishing prominent stories. However, regional news outlets are less likely to embellish the news.

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