Putin faces backlash as Ukrainian forces breach Kursk region

Vladimir Putin lost face among Russians after Ukrainians occupied parts of the Kursk region, writes the "New York Times." The newspaper cites research from FilterLabs AI, a company that monitors national sentiment by analyzing social networks and news services.

The study revealed that Russians reacted very negatively to the fact that Vladimir Putin allowed a foreign army to intrude on the nation’s territory. The negative perception is heightened by the fact that such a situation has occurred for the first time since the Second World War.

In many posts on the internet, it can be read that the "Ukrainian offensive is the result of the president’s failed actions and the government controlled by him". Additionally, people are outraged by the continued behaviour of the head of state.

According to Jonathan Teubner, CEO of FilterLabs, Putin's response to the invasion was perceived as inappropriate at best and outright offensive at worst.

According to him, dissatisfaction is particularly growing in the distant regions of the country, where people are being massively recruited to the front. - If the president’s popularity drops too much there and Russians feel the war is going badly, the Kremlin will have difficulty replenishing the army - Teubner assesses.

However, according to "NYT" sources in the White House, it is too early to say whether the negative effects will be long-term. A source in conversation with the newspaper reminded that Putin managed to rebuild his reputation after Prigozhin’s rebellion, which was abandoned at the last moment against Moscow.

Source: "New York Times"