Consider This from NPR

Episode: Four years in, war in Ukraine grinds on. Is that what Russians want?
Date: March 10, 2026
Host: Scott Detrow
Reporter: Charles Maynes (Moscow Correspondent)
Key Contributors: Greg Myhre (NPR), Alexei Minyalo, Irina Turbina, Sergei Politaev, Viktor Yurafeev

Episode Overview

This episode explores how, four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war has become the deadliest conflict on European soil since WWII—with over 1.5 million dead, injured, or missing. The central question: Is maintaining this costly war truly what Russians want? NPR’s Charles Maynes travels across Russia, speaking with soldiers, families, activists, and analysts to gauge the complex reality behind apparent public unity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Expectations and Resilience (00:00–03:09)

• Russian Invasion Far From Decisive:
  The war was planned as a quick campaign; both Russian and Western intelligence expected a swift Russian victory—but Kyiv withstood the attacks, and the war dragged on.

• Sanction Fallout and Putin’s Resilience:
  Despite unprecedented Western sanctions and a dramatic drop in the ruble, President Vladimir Putin maintained his grip and cracked down on domestic dissent. Notably, 300,000 reservists were mobilized in 2022, and Russia weathered a substantial brain drain.

  "I think it's asking sanctions to do too much to actually stop the war."
  — Juan Zirotti, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury (00:50)

• Wagner Group Mutiny:
  The failed 2023 mutiny by Yevgeny Prigozhin (Wagner head) was seen as a crack, but Putin survived this challenge, too.

2. Life on the Ground: Russian Sentiment and Propaganda (04:16–06:18)

• Military Parades and State Narrative:
  At a May 2025 parade in Red Square, the rhetoric of WWII victory is repurposed for today’s war, stirring patriotic support among military families and officials.

  "Our grandparents did everything to defeat the Nazi threat and will do the same now that it's raised its head again."
  — Yevgeny Vilchin, lieutenant colonel in the Russian Army (04:40)

  "[Victory in Ukraine has] taken longer and been harder than we would have liked... but we'll get there, and we're willing to pay any price."
  — Alexander Borodai, Russian MP and early architect of the war (05:23)

• Feedback Loop of State Messaging:
  The Kremlin enforces a historical analogy between WWII and Ukraine, reinforcing unity and justifying hardship.

3. The Illusion of Unity and Reality of Sentiment (06:18–07:15)

• Weaponized Polls and Suppressed Dissent:
  Opposition activist Alexei Minyalo, founder of the Chronicles project, contends that polls overstate support because it’s criminal to oppose the war openly.

  "This illusion of a unified country... is one of [Putin's] strongest weapons."
  — Alexei Minyalo (06:21)

  "Much more people choose to end the war without reaching goals but sooner than fighting till victory."
  — Alexei Minyalo (07:03)

4. Conformity, Fear, and the War Economy in the Provinces (07:15–09:06)

• Small-town Conformity and Police State:
  Dissent like that of 15-year-old Arseny Turbin (imprisoned for alleged “aiding Ukrainian army”) is harshly punished. Residents feel compelled to display support or remain silent.

  "My boy is now a terrorist. Can you understand that? ... A lot of people are suffering because they don't agree with Russia's position."
  — Irina Turbina, mother of imprisoned teen (08:00)

• Poverty & War Profiteering:
  For many, enlistment bonuses and bereavement payments (tens of thousands of dollars) offer economic opportunity, transforming local economies.

5. Maintaining Normalcy and War Fatigue (09:06–09:43)

• War Fatigue & Adaptability:
  Sergei Politaev, war supporter and blogger, notes that most adapt to the “new normal,” even if there's exhaustion on the front and in factories.

  "Of course people are tired ... but the rest of society goes on with their lives. They go to work, buy apartments, go out to eat."
  — Sergei Politaev (09:09)

• Resilience Amid Sanctions:
  The Russian economy, despite waves of sanctions, has stabilized. People adapt in what Politaev calls the nation's sixth crisis in one lifetime.

6. The Cost of Control: Censorship and Exile (09:43–11:20)

• Censorship and Crackdown:
  The arrest of anti-war musicians like Diana Loganova of Stop Time highlights how wartime laws restrict freedom.

  "We were just playing songs we like to a public that wants to hear them."
  — Diana Loganova (stage name Naoka), musician now in exile (10:25)

• Views from Exile:
  Renowned writer Viktor Yurafeev, now in exile, sees Russia stuck in a cycle of “barbarism,” but also notes the unpredictability isn't solely Russia’s problem.

  "These are dark times ... Russia may be stuck in an endless war in Ukraine, but its might-makes-right worldview ... is on the march everywhere—including the US. America's future is as unpredictable as Russia's ... Russians, he says, we're used to it."
  — Viktor Yurafeev (11:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Juan Zirotti:
  "I think it's asking sanctions to do too much to actually stop the war." (00:50)

• Alexei Minyalo:
  "We don't have any kind of pro-war majority... it's out of self-preservation." (07:01)

• Irina Turbina:
  "My boy is now a terrorist. Can you understand that? A terrorist." (08:00)

• Sergei Politaev:
  "People are exhausted on the front lines and in the factories. But the rest of society goes on with their lives..." (09:09)

• Diana Loganova (Naoka):
  "We were just playing songs we like to a public that wants to hear them." (10:25)

• Viktor Yurafeev:
  "Russians... we're used to it." (11:19)

Key Timestamps

• 00:00–03:09: History of the war’s beginnings and Putin’s resilience
• 04:16–05:23: Red Square parade; recycling of WWII propaganda
• 06:18–07:15: Polling and the illusion of unity
• 07:15–09:06: Small-town dynamics, repression, economic factors
• 09:06–09:43: Societal adaptation and economic fallout
• 09:43–11:20: Censorship, cultural crackdowns, voices in exile

Tone and Language

The episode is reported in a measured, analytic tone, blending narrative vignettes, direct interviews, and expert analysis to capture the complexity underneath the Kremlin’s messaging. Russian interviewees’ words are relayed with empathy for their predicament. The blend of patriotic language, personal anguish, and political resignation underscores the toll on Russian society and the ambiguity of true popular support for the war.

For further context, listen to the full episode on NPR’s Consider This.