Are Russians turning against Putin?

One of the reasons why I judged — wrongly — that Vladimir Putin would not order an all-out invasion of Ukraine was the likelihood of a protracted war. But another was the possibility of popular protest in Russia, which could have potentially destabilising effects on the Kremlin.

After sporadic protests in the hours immediately after the invasion, all of them ending in arrests or dispersal by police — citing Covid restrictions — Thursday evening sprang a surprise. Young people came out in their hundreds with homemade placards saying ‘nyet voine’, no to war, not just in Moscow and St Petersburg, where political engagement tends to be higher, but in nearly 50 towns and cities across Russia.

It should go without saying that to join such protests in today’s Russia takes courage. But even if this is a one-off, and even if repressive police action thwarts any recurrence, these widespread protests give a glimpse of Russian opinion that cannot have been welcomed by the Kremlin.

For years it has seemed that Putin’s hold on power has been down to more than just blunt authoritarianism. To