It is becoming difficult for Vladimir Putin to insulate Russians from the war in Ukraine, British defence chiefs have warned.
More than 52 per cent of Russians have either a friend or relative taking part in the military operation, a poll in December found.
In its latest intelligence report, the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Mr Putin has now received a report briefing him on giving more social support to those mobilised and their families.
Andrey Turchak, the head of the ruling United Russia party, said on February 16 that Mr Putin had been presented with a report ahead of his state of the nation address on February 21.
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The MoD said: “The report is likely to cover issues such as social support to those mobilised and their families. This issue is likely to become more salient if any further mobilisation (be it overt or tacit) takes place.”
They added: “It is becoming increasingly difficult for the Kremlin to insulate the population from the war in Ukraine. A December 2022 Russian poll reported that 52% had either a friend or relative who had served in the so-called Special Military Operation.”
It comes as Ukrainian soldiers fighting to hold off a Russian push on the eastern city of Bakhmut pleaded for more weapons from the outside world as Western leaders met in Munich on Friday to assess the year-long war.
“Give us more military equipment, more weapons, and we will deal with the Russian occupier, we will destroy them,” said Dmytro, a serviceman near Bakhmut.
Nearly one year into the invasion, President Vladimir Putin’s troops are intensifying assaults in the east.
Ukraine is planning a spring counter-offensive, for which it wants more, heavier and longer-range weapons from its Western allies.
The governor of Luhansk, one of two provinces in what is known as the Donbas which Russia partially controls and wants to take completely, said ground and air attacks were increasing.
“Today it is rather difficult on all directions,” Serhiy Haidai told local TV. “There are constant attempts to break through our defence lines,” he said of fighting near the city of Kreminna.
