«Verstka», together with independent sociologists, surveyed over a hundred Russian military personnel to find out their opinion on peace talks and the possible end of the war. Three-quarters of respondents want to stop military actions, slightly less than a quarter are ready to continue the «SVO» until victory, and only two people stated they want to keep fighting to «avenge the fallen».
At the same time, the duration of participation in hostilities reduces the desire to stop the war. Among «veterans» (those who have spent more than two years on the front), only 57% supported a ceasefire. Military personnel who have spent less than two years in combat overwhelmingly (77%) advocate for stopping hostilities.
Slightly more than half (51%) of the military personnel we spoke with would support Putin's decision to withdraw troops from Ukraine even without achieving the «SVO goals». 41% of respondents viewed this prospect negatively. The search for the «SVO goals» continues. Only a fifth of those surveyed named the officially declared Kremlin goals of «demilitarization» and «denazification» as the «SVO goals». Slightly more — 22% — believe the war was started to oppose the «collective West» and NATO. Another 17% of military personnel named the complete annexation of Ukraine to Russia as the main goal of the invasion. 14% are confident that Putin started the war to change the government in Kyiv. 13% of respondents named the protection of the Russian-speaking population and the defense of borders as goals. Some respondents named the goals of the war as «holding power» (3%) and enrichment (2%).
More than half (51%) of all surveyed military personnel believe that the war could have been avoided. Another 40% are sure that the «special military operation» was inevitable. Almost a tenth of respondents could not unequivocally answer this question.
Negotiations in one form or another were supported by almost all of the publication's interlocutors among the military, with only 15% of respondents categorically against it. However, the goals of the negotiations are interpreted differently. Slightly more than half (52%) are sure that the main thing is to retain the captured territories. 29% believe that it is necessary to change the government in Ukraine. Another 23% of respondents named Ukraine's renunciation of joining NATO as the main task in the negotiations.
At the same time, there is no belief in the imminent end of the war among the troops. More than half of those surveyed believe that hostilities will end only in a year or more. Only 13% of respondents believe in the end of the conflict in the coming months.
* Recognized in Russia as a «foreign agent».