81% of Russians support ending the war ‘as early as tomorrow,’ highest share in four years, Kyiv-based institute says

Eight in 10 Russians — 81% — support ending the war “as early as tomorrow,” the highest share recorded since the start of the full-scale invasion, according to a study by the Institute for Conflict Studies and Analysis of Russia (ICAR), a Ukrainian think tank. The figure had held at 72–75% since 2023, the authors of the “Mirror of Russia” study said.

The share of Russians who want the war to continue without a set timeline, until a complete victory, fell from 13% to 9% — the lowest figure since the full-scale invasion began.

The May survey also found that the Russia–Ukraine war has reclaimed the top spot on the list of issues Russians consider most pressing, surpassing low wages and high prices. Thirty-three percent of respondents named the war their primary concern; low wages and high prices were cited by 24% and 18%, respectively. “The war has gone from background noise back to a significant factor in Russians’ everyday lives,” ICAR experts said.

Russians link an end to the war with an improvement in their financial situation, ICAR said. Both goals were named by 58% of survey participants as priorities the Russian president should focus on in 2026.

A separate set of questions addressed restrictions on mobile internet, “white lists,” and the blocking of Telegram. Most respondents view these measures negatively. “Dissatisfaction with such actions by the authorities is visible across different social groups, since the blocks disrupt the routines people have built up over the years,” the study’s authors said.