A year on, what do young Russians think of the war in Ukraine?

Finding out what young Russians really think about the war in Ukraine is not easy.

Polls have suggested that even though they are the least likely to support the invasion, many still back it.

But as anti-war sentiment is heavily cracked down on, few are truly open about their beliefs.

What we do know is that young Russians, unlike their elders, are growing up in an era of smartphones and social networks, and therefore have access to a wider range of information compared with what they are told about the war on state media.

Some teenagers have been arrested for sabotaging railways, sharing anti-war memes on social media, and taking part in peace rallies – although actual criminal charges for under-18s are relatively rare.

‘We were nervous so we left in a hurry’

Kim, 18, originally from Novosibirsk, now living in the United States

“Since we lived in Russia, the war affected us quite a lot. My mother and I were very afraid for our lives, so the decision was made to leave. We were nervous so we left in a hurry. With the move, my life has changed dramatically.

“I am against any war. This special operation is complete nonsense and an absurdity that no one needed. Although Ukraine is a much smaller country, it is strong patriotically. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is just another man who has been in power too long. After all, what are elections for? One person shouldn’t be in power for a long time, all this power twists and corrupts people. His strange behaviour was noticeable a long time ago. It was the same in 2014, with his decision to annex Crimea.

‘There are a lot of lies. Both on our side, and from Ukraine’

Jasmine, 21, Moscow

“It’s scary. You don’t know when your friends and family will be taken away for mobilisation. Relatives of friends are already dying on the front. I’m afraid they will announce a full mobilisation and take everyone.

“Other than that, we haven’t been affected much yet. The economy hasn’t been stable for a long time and the sanctions haven’t gone away. Travel is hard – you can’t go anywhere with a Russian passport. But there’s also a positive side. Many Western brands leaving Russia have paved the way for young entrepreneurs and new, high-quality Russian brands are thriving.

“About the war, I don’t know much about this situation, so I can’t judge. Everywhere they say different things and I don’t know who to believe. One thing I know for sure – there are a lot of lies on TV. Both on our side, and from Ukraine.”

Russia’s FSB security service said “Ukrainian nationalists” had been pushed back over the Ukrainian border.

“In order to avoid civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, the enemy has been pushed into Ukrainian territory”, the domestic security service said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.

The group was targeted with a “massive artillery strike,” the FSB added. It said a large number of explosive devices had been found and demining was taking place.

Ukraine accused Russia of staging a false “provocation”, but also appeared to imply some form of operation had indeed been carried out by Russian anti-government partisans.

Amid reports of shelling and sporadic sabotage, Russia’s border regions have become increasingly volatile since Moscow invaded Ukraine a year ago in what it called a “special military operation”.

Putin, in a televised address, said: “They won’t achieve anything. We will crush them”.

The group was made up of the kind of people who wanted to rob Russia of its history and language, he said.

In two videos circulating online, armed men calling themselves the “Russian Volunteer Corps” said they had crossed the border to fight what they referred to as “the bloody Putinite and Kremlin regime.”

Describing themselves as Russian “liberators”, the men called on Russians to take up weapons and rise up against the authorities. They said they did not open fire on civilians.