The Russian “special military operation” in Ukraine, which was to last only a few days and quickly install a pro-Kremlin regime in Kyiv, continues. Worse yet, launched about two weeks ago, the Ukrainian counteroffensive on the southern and northeastern fronts is bearing fruit.
On Monday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said his army had seized 6,000 km² of territory controlled by Russian forces. Given these important advances, Moscow has “withdrew” its troops from the Kharkiv region and recognizes a “difficult” situation.
Could this military fiasco shake Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia? In the country, voices are raised to demand an end to the invasion of Ukraine.
“It is absolutely impossible to defeat Ukraine”
This is an unprecedented speech on Russian television. During a generally pro-Putin talk show, a former deputy and deputy chairman of the Duma, the lower house of the Russian Parliament, takes aim at Vladimir Putin and his mismanagement of the war in Ukraine.
“We have reached a point where we must understand that it is absolutely impossible to defeat Ukraine with these resources and these methods of colonial warfare,” says Boris Nadezhdin.
“I suggest peace talks to stop the war and consider the resolution of political problems,” continues the former deputy, adding that a “strong army opposes the Russian army with the support of the most powerful countries in both the economic and technological sense. “. “.
Calls for accusing Putin of ‘high treason’
Evidence of a certain disavowal of the head of the Kremlin, in recent days two groups of elected municipal officials, one in St. Petersburg and the other in Moscow, have even called for his resignation, accusing him in particular of plunging the country back into the era of the Cold War.
“Russian soldiers are being killed, young people are being injured, the Russian economy is in bad shape… So we sent a letter to the Duma to make a decision to charge the president with high treason,” the elected official explained. Russian Nikita. Yuferof.
Vladimir Putin “started a war that is leading Russia to catastrophe, not only Russia, but also Ukraine. We believe that since the war began, everyone is tired of Putin and the games of him ”, continues Dmitry Palyuga, author of the appeal in St. Petersburg.
“Studies show that the inhabitants of countries where power changes regularly live on average better and longer than in those where the leader leaves office only feet first,” reads the letter from the elected Muscovites, in reference to Vladimir Putin’s 22 years in power. .
Dissenting voices quickly dismissed
These views mark a certain turning point in part of public opinion. However, they remain largely symbolic and have no chance of success. Vladimir Putin “is protected by the security services and by the military. Part of the population does criticize his defeat but is not at all willing to make the revolution, to go out into the streets to overthrow the power ”, Nicolas Tenzer, professor specialized in Ukraine and Russia at Sciences Po, explains to BFMTV.
Furthermore, repression is strong in the country and dissenting voices are quickly dismissed. The seven St. Petersburg municipal deputies were quickly summoned by the police before being released. This does not mean that his act will go unpunished. Indeed, on July 8, an elected official was sentenced to seven years in prison for publicly expressing his opposition to the invasion of Ukraine.
Source: BFM TV
