‘I fear Putin is unstoppable’: Russians on the invasion of Ukraine

An anti-war protest in St Petersburg. Many of those who contacted the Guardian expressed their concern over the escalation. Photograph: Peter Kovalev/Tass

Russian forces have attacked Ukraine on the orders of Vladimir Putin who announced a “special operation” at dawn on Thursday. World leaders have denounced the invasion and warned that it could ignite the largest war since 1945.

Though many Russians may support their president’s actions in Ukraine, others are against the conflict. A new poll released by the independent Levada Centre showed only 45% of Russians were in favour of Putin’s recognition move that preceded the invasion. There were protests against the war in town and cities across Russia on Thursday night.