For everyday Russians, the lens into the war in Ukraine is through a camera operated by Vladimir Putin.
Through propagandized content on state-controlled broadcast and print media outlets, Russians are told the falsehood that the war’s mission is to free Ukrainians from the West-allied Nazified regime in Kyiv, and that, by the way, Ukraine really shouldn’t exist as its own country because it has always belonged to Russia. They’re told that Ukrainians actually want to be liberated by Russian forces so they can be welcomed into the Kremlin’s fold.
And mothers, fathers, siblings and children of Russian soldiers are told lies about the fate of their men, or not told at all.
