Changing perceptions: Russian soldiers increasingly labelled murderers

"A murderer lives here." This was the message one woman found on the door of her home whose husband is one of the soldiers fighting in Ukraine. This is another example of similar behaviour towards Russians on the front lines in recent weeks. Could this suggest that something is changing in Russia?

The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for over two years now. During this time, a lot has changed in both countries, though one thing is particularly intriguing. This refers to the shift in Russian rhetoric, where, after such a long time, hardly anyone in the context of this conflict speaks of the so-called "special military operation."

However, this is not the only example of changes in Russia since February 24, 2022. What has disappeared irreversibly is the genuine belief of Russian soldiers that they would be greeted with flowers and applause upon arriving in Ukraine. This vision was repeated from the beginning, but with each killed Russian, it faded into oblivion.

The result of the changes above is a significantly different perception of the fighting Russians at home. Those who were seen as heroes by millions of compatriots are now increasingly being simply called murderers.

One resident of Kursk experienced this significant change in perception firsthand. While her husband fought on the Ukrainian front, someone wrote, "A murderer lives here" on the door of their apartment. Upon seeing this, the woman immediately took a photo and posted it online.

What is most interesting is that this is not the first such case. A video of a Russian man with tears in his eyes appeared online, where he recounted how "heroes" are treated upon returning from the front. He also shared a story of his comrade in arms:

My friends are ashamed to wear uniforms. One 20-year-old idiot approached a SWO soldier who had two medals of honour. The boy looked at him with disdain for a long time. The soldier couldn't stand it and asked: Why are you looking at me like that? What do you want? And he said: You're a murderer - recounts a tearful former soldier of the Russian army.

Do such situations indicate a change in the Russians' attitude towards the ongoing conflict? Unfortunately not. These kinds of cases, though occurring more frequently, are still exceptions.