‘Will never be forgiven’ Russians fume at Putin as invasion bluff dubbed ‘stain’ on nation

The Russian strongman appears to be on a relentless drive to war with his neighbours to the West. Over the past few months, Mr Putin has amassed tens of thousands of troops and equipment to the north, east and south of Ukraine. Analysts believe that an invasion is imminent and could come as early as next week.

The threat of a bloody war with their close neighbours has left many ordinary Russians dismayed and furious with the antics of their leader.

Andrey Malgin, a Russian journalist, warned Mr Putin that he would “never be forgiven” for his warmongering.

He said on Twitter: “Regardless of whether Putin attacks Ukraine or not, now he will never be forgiven for what is happening these days.

“This is a stain that will fall on him, and on Russia as a whole, and on the Russian people.

“There will be no ‘kalinka-malinka’ for a long time.

“Abroad, we will feel everything in our own skin.”

Rob Lee, a defence analyst, described Moscow’s military build-up as “unprecedented”.

He said: “This is not like previous war scares or the buildup in the spring.

“The amount of Russian aerial, ground, and naval military power near Ukraine now is quantifiably far greater.”

Vice-Admiral Nils Andreas Stensønes, the head of the Norwegian intelligence service, estimated there were 150,000 Russian troops massed around Ukraine.

He believed Russia now had the ability to launch a major invasion of its beleaguered neighbours.

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This is despite an unrelenting and vitriolic propaganda campaign directed against Kiev.

Additionally a survey carried out in 2021 showed that 23 percent of Russians believed Russia and Ukraine should be friendly neighbours but still have their own borders

Only 17 percent of respondents supported the unification of the two states.

On Saturday US President Joe Biden spent an hour talking to his Russian counterpart in yet another attempt to avert a war.

However, there was no apparent breakthrough, with Mr Biden once again reiterating that the US would “impose swift and severe costs on Russia” in the event of an invasion.