Vladimir Putin has sharply reduced his public appearances in Russia over the past three months, with one analyst estimating a 24% drop, just as discontent over the war in Ukraine, internet shutdowns and new surveillance measures reaches its highest point since the full-scale invasion began.
Vladimir Putin has spent more than four years framing the war in Ukraine as a long game that Russia could afford to grind out. On state TV, victories were trumpeted and setbacks downplayed. But in recent weeks, some of his most loyal pro‑war voices have started to sound less like cheerleaders and more like alarm bells, openly questioning the Kremlin's strategy, competence and even its grip on power.
