Because on Russia’s talk shows, there is a clear sense of unease as the scale of Ukraine’s counteroffensive sinks in. Last Friday, one in particular made the rounds. Map shows massive scale of Ukraine victory – latest updates Called Meeting Point, it involved admissions from all sides that the business was definitely not going according to plan. that it was clear that the Ukrainians did not welcome Russia with open arms at all. and that anyone who advised President Putin that he might have done so had brought Russia down. “We hear everything is going according to plan. Does anyone believe that six months ago we were planning to abandon Balakliya or repel a counterattack near Kharkiv?” said Viktor Olevich, revered as a policy expert, to a flustered cast of pundits. “Everyone – people who are against the military operation and people who were in favor of the military operation – said that something went wrong; we, the Russian army, have a big problem,” Boris Nadezhdin told Sky News. He’s normally the only critic on these shows, the token liberal. This time it was everyone. But he doesn’t think Russia has exhausted its military capabilities, far from it. “Russia is a very big country and it is not a problem for Russia to mobilize a million people and bring them to Ukraine,” he said. “Do not overestimate the results of the Ukrainian army in recent days.” Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 7:33 Ukraine’s counterattack explained by Professor Michael Clarke The TV pundits have been broadly back in line since the weekend, their ire focused on NATO and the West and less on Russia’s failings – which have been lumped loosely under the heading of “rebuilding”. But the angry, nationalist chatter on Telegram persists. Kremlin warns domestic critics to be ‘careful’ Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, said on Tuesday that critics were walking a fine line given Russia’s laws on discrediting the armed forces. “One has to be rather careful,” he said. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 1:18 President Zelensky on Crimea: “We have plans” But first, it’s the pro-war camp in the spotlight, not the liberals who have made their positions clear and face fines and, in some cases, prison terms for speaking out. “It’s fun to watch, time to cook the popcorn!” said Timofey Nikolaev, who until last weekend’s election was a local councilor in Moscow. “Before there was only one camp of supporters of the operation and now there are two camps fighting each other and some even accuse Putin of treason because he did not do enough, because he lost.” His last act as a councilor was to write a letter to Russia’s state parliament calling on Putin to resign. It’s not the only appeal. Another group of politicians in St. Petersburg called for the Russian president to be charged with treason for his actions in Ukraine. They face charges, mainly fines, for discrediting the armed forces. Image: Mr Nikolaev’s resignation letter said Putin was sending Russia back to the Cold War era Mr. Nikolaev was careful to avoid mentioning events in Ukraine. He says that if his time in office is up, then so should Mr. Putin. “The rhetoric you and your subordinates have been using has been full of intolerance and aggression for a long time, which has ultimately pushed our country back into the Cold War era,” he wrote in his letter. “We ask you to be relieved of your position, due to the fact that your views, your management model is hopelessly outdated and hinders the development of Russia and its human potential.” He admits the appeals – and an accompanying petition – are largely symbolic. “I don’t expect any changes,” he said, “but you never know what broke the camel’s back.”
