Poll: Only 25% of Russians back war
The Kremlin’s internal polling shows 25% of Russians favor continuing the war in Ukraine and 55% support peace talks, an independent Russian media outlet says.
Meduza says it obtained access to the survey conducted last month by the Russian Federal Protective Service. The results are markedly different from a July survey that showed 57% of Russians favored the war.
Denis Volkov, director of the independent sociological institute Levada Center in Moscow, said the share of Russians rejecting the war began growing rapidly with the September “partial mobilization” draft that added 300,000 soldiers.
“This is sheer reluctance to take part in the war personally,” Volkov told Meduza. “Now the risks are greater, and people want to start the talks.”
The British Defendse Ministry said the results of the poll were consistent with one conducted in October.
Russia calls for ban on oil price caps
A top Russian official called for a global ban on oil price caps Sunday, one day before a $60 per barrel purchase cap on Russian oil goes into effect. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Russia would trim production rather then sell under the cap.
Novak said the limit being imposed by the U.S. and much of Europe “runs counter to all the rules of the World Trade Organization.”
Russia has been adding tankers to its shipping fleet in hopes of selling more oil to China, India and other nations since Europe has vastly cut back on pipeline purchases. But Western insurers are banned from insuring cargos not being traded under the cap, adding to Russia’s export woes.
Kherson being battered despite Russian retreat
Russian forces fled the southern city of Kherson last month in a much-ballyhooed win for Ukraine, but the region continues to be hammered by Russian shelling. Power outages are frequent, and Kherson regional Gov. Yaroslav Yanushkevich said evacuations of civilians in Russian-held territory would resume temporarily.
Russian forces moved to the Dnieper River’s eastern bank last month.
Kherson is one of four regions that Russian leader Vladimir Putin illegally annexed in September and vowed to defend as Russian territory.