Public opinion of Vladimir Putin is turning sour and people in the streets of Moscow are denouncing the Rus s ian leader as the war in Ukraine grinds on to its ninth month.
Russians made their feelings known to Radio Free Europe, with many talking of a looming crisis in the country and one person even saying they could see no gains in the war, saying: "I only see losses."
One young woman said all her friends are scared of mobilisation. She said they are either hiding or leaving the country.
Another Russian youth added: "There have been sanctions, and some brands have left the country. At some point, it will cause a crisis here. It'll hit Russia harder than other countries."
A Russian military veteran, who fought in Chechnya, complained about the treatment of soldiers: "What did I get in return? A pension of $50 per month. How is that okay?"
A middle-aged man told Radio Free Europe: "Russia has lost the lives of its soldiers. What has it gained? For me personally, losses outweigh any gains."
Another man echoed his remarks, saying Russia has lost its friends and reputation.
As the majority of those interviewed criticised the war, one man summed it up: "Russia has gained nothing at all. The grief of mothers, and young people dying on both sides. Lots of civilians have been killed."
However, two elderly women said that Russia "had to do it" and claimed President Putin had "already won".
US defence secretary Lloyd Austin accused Russia on Saturday of “deliberate cruelty” in its war in Ukraine, saying Moscow was intentionally targeting civilians.
“With deliberate cruelty, Russia is putting civilians and civilian targets in its gunsights,” Austin told the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California.
There have been 18 Ukrainian diplomatic missions in 12 countries that have received bloody packages, including pigs eyes, in what Ukraine has described as a “campaign of terror and intimidation”.
Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesperson from Ukraine’s foreign ministry, said the packages were simultaneously sent from one European country, which he could not disclose while the investigation was ongoing.
Ukraine's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, was asked by CNN who he thought was behind the letters.
He said: "I feel tempted to say, to name Russia straight away because first of all you have to answer the question, who benefits?"
“Maybe this terror response is the Russian answer to the diplomatic horror that we created for Russia in the international arena, and this is how they try to fight back while they are losing the real diplomatic battles one after another.”
