Russian society on the war in Ukraine Winston Churchill once said that Russia is “a riddle wrapped in mystery, inside an enigma”. That statement is confirmed today by a more closed public sphere than ever before. Since Russia’s aggression against Ukraine started in February 2022, the Kremlin’s increasingly severe repression has struck not only at the few remaining voices of opposition, but also at all those who embody “Western decadence”. Behind the Kremlin’s stern proclamations, what do Russians think? How do they keep themselves informed? To what extent do the opposition media in exile reach their target audiences? And what does the future hold for Russia in the midst of nationalist narratives?