Conflict in Ukraine: Residents of Belgorod Express Fear Yet Remain Unwilling to Accusate Putin
In the heart of Russia's Belgorod region, battle cries are becoming a regular symphony, just a stone's throw away from the Ukrainian border. The distant explosions are met with surprising calmness. The marketplace, a once bustling hub, now resembles a warzone itself, with rusted metal stalls standing as grim reminders of a mortar attack a few days back. The market was closed during the strike, ensuring no casualties. Nevertheless, many stalls remain closed, and the number of customers has dwindled. Sandbags serve as makeshift fortifications outside some buildings.
The tranquil life for which the region was known a year ago is now but a distant memory. Many residents of Belgorod express their anxiety about potential Ukrainian shelling, often forgetting the role their country played in the consensual escalation.
"No one is safeguarding us," Raisa Alexandrovna, a vendor at the market, tells me, her once carefree demeanor replaced with concern. "When people go home at night, they don't know if they'll be in one piece in the morning."
The city of Belgorod, the regional capital, is not immune to this nervous tension. A giant 'Z', the symbol of Russia's military campaign, dominates a busy highway. In recent months, the city has experienced explosions as well, including ones at the airport, an oil depot, and an apparent strike on a nuclear power plant. Suddenly, residents are faced with the grim reality of seeking shelter. Shelters have been established in storage facilities and cellars of residential buildings.
Conversations in Belgorod echo those at the market, with many people admitting that security concerns emerged post-invasion, but refusing to condemn the incursion itself. It's as if there's an emotional barrier preventing people from linking the deteriorating security situation to the decision of their president.
Propaganda feeds this barrier. Patriotic messages adorn billboards and advertising hoardings in Belgorod, showcasing enhanced images of Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine. The slogans urge the public to support the flag.
"Thank you for your brave deeds!" reads one poster.
"For the Fatherland!" states another.
"For the Victory!"
"Believe in Yourself, but Live for Russia!"
The constant stream of nationalist messaging on Russian state TV reinforces these sentiments. News flashes and talk shows assure audiences that Russia is in the right, that Ukraine and the West are the aggressors, and that the very future of Russia hangs in the balance.
The messaging is effective. Vladimir Kuznetsov, a knitting store owner, believes the West is trying to misguide everyone. "The West plays a negative role," he tells me. "It clearly wants to destroy Russia. We have seen that in the past. Under Adolf Hitler."
Xenia, a law student, agrees. "Ukraine is a Western creation," she claims, "and the West has always wanted to harm Russia. Hitler wanted to order our land. Who doesn't? We have such a vast country."
Not everyone shares this view, but few are willing to express dissenting opinions publicly.
"I don't believe I can influence the situation," says Ivan, farther up the street. "I understand which country I'm living in, and what the authorities have done to prevent ordinary people from expressing their opinions. Any such expression threatens."
References to Hitler are not incidental. They are common on Russian TV, serving to stir patriotic emotions and boost support for the "special military operation," as the Kremlin refers to the invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin paints the war in Ukraine in similar hues as World War II, portraying Russia as fighting fascism, battling to protect the Motherland from foreign invaders.
The reality is starkly different. In 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union. In 2022, Vladimir Putin's Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In a wasteland outside Belgorod, I meet a group of armed men who call themselves "Smersh"—after a renowned counter-intelligence unit created by Joseph Stalin during World War II. They refuse to reveal their faces or names but discuss their activities briefly.
"At present, we are training a territorial support force for Belgorod region," one man says. "Some of those in training have experience in fighting. Some are former policemen and ex-military. They will protect Belgorod region if there is an assault on Russia. As for us, we will execute any task the commander-in-chief might assign us, in any community, anywhere in the world."
One of the men being trained is Evgeny Bakalo, a local author and entrepreneur. In Belgorod, Evgeny has established a support system for Ukrainians who have fled to Russia to escape the fighting. Evgeny's views of Ukraine align with the controversial opinions of President Putin.
"We are one people," he tells me. "Ukrainians are Russians. They've just forgotten about it."
A year of war and strong Ukrainian resistance suggest the opposite: that now, more than at any other time in its post-Soviet history, the Ukrainian people value their sovereignty and independence and are determined not to be forced back into Moscow's orbit.
At the same time, Moscow continues to depict Ukrainian authorities as neo-Nazis and Western governments as Nazi sympathizers, another justification for the Kremlin's repeated references to the 1940s.
Under President Putin, the national ideology is built around World War II—what most Russians call the Great Patriotic War: both the Soviet Union's victory in that war, and the immense human cost of that victory. This highly emotional topic is used to fuel patriotic fervor and increase public support for the "special military operation."
- Amidst the escalating war-and-conflicts along the Ukrainian border, businesses in the Belgorod region have been affected, with many stores remaining closed and customer numbers dwindling.
- In response to the war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation in Belgorod have been adjusted to ensure the safety of its residents, with shelters being established in storage facilities and cellars of residential buildings.
- Despite the challenges posed by the war-and-conflicts, political discussions in Belgorod often revolve around the ongoing conflict, with many residents expressing support for Russia's military action, influenced by patriotic messaging in news, general-news broadcasts, and public billboards.
