What You Need to Know: Opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is growing among both civilians and soldiers, with dissenters facing severe punishment under Kremlin crackdowns.

-Reports indicate record convictions for treason, extremism, and “disinformation,” with Russia employing extreme measures to control the population and shape the war narrative. Despite some tactical gains, Russia’s invasion has failed to yield substantial victories and has severely weakened its military, now sustaining extensive casualties and equipment losses.

-Initially planned as a swift “special military operation,” the conflict has made Russia increasingly isolated on the global stage, with alliances shifting toward other isolated states like North Korea and Iran.

Growing Resistance: Russians Facing Record Convictions for Opposing Ukraine War

Russian soldiers and civilians are opposing the invasion of Ukraine in droves and end up facing the wrath of the Kremlin.

Data from the Russian government suggest that the number of dissenters to the conflict is increasing.

Meanwhile, the Russian military continues to suffer extremely heavy casualties on the ground with just some tactical gains to show for it.

Opposing an Illegal War  

“According to Russian independent media, convictions on treason charges in Russia are at the highest level in at least 9 years, with more convictions in the first 6 months of 2024 than in all of 2023, citing data from the Russian Ministry of Justice,” the British Military Intelligence stated in its latest operational update on the conflict.

Suffice to say that not everyone in Russia agrees with the decision to launch a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on completely illegal pretexts.

“Similarly, there has been significant growth in convictions under criminal articles relating to extremism, terrorism, and ‘disinformation,’” the British Military Intelligence added.

Internal opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine isn’t new. Since February 24, 2022, there have been countless of instances where Russian citizens have attacked military-related facilities in an attempt to frustrate the Kremlin’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.

The Russian government has been cracking down on the dissenters, arresting and convicting people at record rates.

“This conviction data illustrates the increasing reliance by the Russian government on coercive and demonstratively deterrent methods to maintain control over elements of the population that are hostile to the regime,” the British Military Intelligence assessed.

“Prior to Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, the regime would usually preference more subtle ways of controlling dissent,” the British Military Intelligence concluded.

But now the gloves are off, and the Kremlin is evidently taking extreme measures to ensure that its control over the population and, most importantly, the narrative of the war remains secure.

For all terms and purposes, Putin’s decision to invade his neighbor is a disaster. To be sure, the Russian forces might be on the offensive right now, making slow but steady tactical progress at several parts of the contact line. Over the past couple of months, the Russian military has captured some important urban centers on the contact line but hasn’t been able to leverage its numerical superiority and (very slow) momentum to achieve wider operational gains. Moreover, overall, the Russian military has failed in Ukraine.

What was supposed to be a lightning operation that would last between three days and two weeks is now a conflict with global implications that is approaching its 1,000 day. In the process, the Russian forces have lost approximately 700,000 troops and tens of thousands of heavy weapons systems, thus seriously degrading their ability to fight against the United States and NATO. Russia has become an international pariah and is increasingly forced to deal with other pariah states like North Korea and Iran. And the conflict is still ongoing with no end in sight.

About the Author 

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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