For first time since beginning of great war, Ukrainian attacks become more of concern for russians than front line - poll

For the first time since the start of the full-scale war, Ukrainian strikes on russian energy infrastructure have begun to concern russians more than the situation directly on the front lines. Nearly 20% of those surveyed in early May cited attacks on russian energy facilities as the main topic of concern.

At the same time, the so-called "special military operation" drew less interest among citizens of the aggressor country. It was reported by Agentstvo News.

"During a survey conducted May 1–3, 18% of Russians cited Ukrainian shelling as the most important topic for them last week, according to the Public Opinion Foundation, which works with the Kremlin. The 'special military operation' was cited as the main topic by 16% of respondents," the report states.

As noted by Dr. Volodymyr Zvonovsky, a sociologist, the response “shelling of Russian territories” surpassed the so-called “special military operation” in popularity for the first time since the full-scale war began. To confirm this, the sociologist released a corresponding graph.

For the first time since the start of the full-scale war, Ukrainian attacks have begun to worry russians more than the front lines: a poll recorded a “turning point”.

For the first time since the start of the full-scale war, Ukrainian attacks have begun to worry russians more than the front lines: a poll recorded a "turning point".

As noted by Agentstvo News, the topic of attacks from Ukraine began to attract russians’ attention in the second year of the war, after drones started reaching Belgorod first, and later moscow.

In July 2023, these events were cited as the main topic by 3 to 8% of respondents, and after the massive strikes on Belgorod in January 2024, this figure stood at around 7%.

Subsequently, against the backdrop of a transportation collapse at moscow airports in early July 2025, the topic of the shelling had already become the main issue for 8% of russians.

"By February 2026, this figure had dropped to 2%, after which it began to rise again. By mid-April, 6% of Russians considered the shelling the main topic. And by the end of April, the figure had soared to 15%, compared to 17% of those interested in the war in Ukraine," the report notes.

It should be noted that Ukraine intensified its strikes on russian energy infrastructure as early as the summer of 2025. By the fall, these attacks had already led to a gasoline shortage at gas stations in russia. This year, thanks to such strikes, Ukraine has also managed to significantly reduce the volume of russian oil exports.

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