How the Russian Invasion of Ukraine Affected Sentiments in the Russian Population

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 led to a surge in support for President Putin, optimism about the future, anti-West attitudes, and reduced migration aspirations among the Russian population. These "rally 'round the flag" effects were broad-based across different demographic groups, except for residents of Moscow. The partial military mobilization in September 2022 had only short-lived negative impacts, while the Wagner Group rebellion in June 2023 did not affect sentiments. The strategic recruitment of soldiers from regions with stronger rally effects, along with economic compensations to families of casualties, helped maintain public support for the war despite the accumulation of casualties.