Putin Authority Wanes Amid Russian Frustration, Expert Warns

Growing fatigue, frustration and anxiety over the Ukraine war among Russians is eroding Vladimir Putin’s authority, according to a BBC expert.

Steve Rosenberg, the broadcaster’s highly-respected Russia editor, told Newsnight that the country’s state-controlled media is trying to rescue Putin’s image as ordinary people feel the direct consequences of the conflict.

Putin first invaded Ukraine in February 2022, expecting to seize the smaller neighbouring country in a matter of days.

More than four years later, however, Russia occupies little more than a fifth of the country.

The UK military estimates that Russia has endured 1.3 million casualties in the conflict.

“This is affecting his image,” Rosenberg told BBC Newsnight.

“For so many years, Vladimir Putin’s image was based on Putin as Mr Security, Mr Stability, the captain of the ship who would calm the ship after the often chaotic 1990s.

“No sense of stability, no sense of security right now.

“The messaging in the state media here is designed to prevent the Russian public from blaming the Kremlin, from blaming Vladimir Putin.

“You switch on the state media and you hear anchors saying it’s the fault of the west, it’s the fault of Europe, Europe is the big enemy now.”

Rosenberg said a “sense of fatigue” was emerging among the Russian public as the war of attrition enters its fifth year.

He continued: “Also at the same time, frustration with the economic problems, rising communal bills, rising utility bills, rising prices, and also frustrations with the government’s attempts to introduce restrictions on the internet.

“This is all coming together and creating a lot of anxiety and frustration.”

He pointed to the Kremlin-controlled Public Opinion Foundation, which found more than 50% of Russians now feel anxious about the war – and fear strikes at home more than the frontline.

Together with a rise in VAT and attempts to block popular messenger apps like Telegram and WhatsApp and mobile internet blackouts have all caused “a lot of anger” with the public, Rosenberg said.

But he said this does not mean “political system is about to collapse”, though Putin does face “a challenge to reassert his authority in the country”.

Rosenberg pointed out that Russians he speaks to now call the conflict a war instead of the Kremlin’s name for it, the “special military operation”.

He noted Russians now rarely call for “victory” in Ukraine now, but instead want peace and a negotiated settlement.

“There is a sense that people just don’t know when this is going to end,” he said.

Putin has started to suggest the war could end soon amid growing dissatisfaction in Russia, though it remains unclear if he is willing to back down from his maximalist goals in Ukraine.

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