A growing number of Russian soldiers stationed in Ukraine are showing clear signs of losing the will to fight, according to a new independent poll. The study, conducted by sociologists and the publication Verstka, paints a damning picture of collapsing morale within Russia’s armed forces. Seventy two percent of those surveyed said they want the war to end. Only 22 percent expressed any desire to continue fighting for what the Kremlin still calls “victory,” while a mere 2 percent said they would carry on out of revenge for fallen comrades.
The results reveal widespread disillusionment, especially among troops with less than two years of combat experience. Of these, 77 percent said they supported a ceasefire. Even among those who have been at the front for over two years, 57 percent now say peace is preferable. The cracks in support reach all levels, with 51 percent of those surveyed indicating they would back the withdrawal of troops from Ukraine, even if Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s so-called “special military operation” failed to achieve its official goals.
Among conscripts, 67 percent would support a pullout. The number falls slightly among mobilised troops and volunteers, to 55 percent. However, among career officers, only 18 percent back withdrawal, exposing a widening rift between the top brass and the foot soldiers being sent to fight a war they no longer believe in.
The poll also shows that the Kremlin’s original justification for the invasion has all but lost credibility among those on the ground. Only 21 percent cited the regime’s claims of “demilitarisation” and “denazification” as reasons for the war. The rest said it was about geopolitical ambitions, NATO paranoia, regime change in Kyiv or simply territorial greed. Many of the respondents were blunt in blaming the Russian war criminal Putin directly for the invasion, with one soldier stating, “This is specifically Volodya. If there had been a different president, it is not a fact that it would have started.”
A staggering majority of troops now support peace talks in one form or another, with only 15 percent against negotiations. However, more than half believe that the war will drag on for at least another year, while only one in three sees a quick resolution as likely.
This erosion of trust and enthusiasm among the Russian ranks highlights a critical issue for the Kremlin. Declining motivation, growing scepticism towards the war’s purpose, battlefield fatigue, and a near-total breakdown in belief in the leadership are creating fertile ground for desertion, refusal to fight, and operational collapse. The Russian dictator may still order his troops forward, but he now faces a battlefield increasingly filled with men who no longer believe in the cause or in him.
