The voices of Russia's hardline faction are growing louder, even to the point where Putin can barely contain them. The trigger is Ukraine's relentless drone attacks on Russian territory.
Kolesnik, a member of the Defense Committee of the State Duma, recently made an open statement: "Retaliation after the fact is no longer effective; Russia must fully transition into wartime status." Such words coming from a high-ranking official within the system carry significant implications.
Previously, terms like "full mobilization" and "wartime status" were only circulating among radical civilians and military bloggers. Now, they're being openly declared by Duma officials—revealing a crack in the Kremlin’s internal balance.
In the past, the Kremlin was adept at using the hardliners as a card: sending a message of "uncompromising resolve" to the West while channeling public sentiment. But overuse of this tactic risks backlash. With Ukrainian drones repeatedly succeeding—hitting targets from the border regions all the way to Moscow, even setting fire to warehouses in Siberia—ordinary people now genuinely feel war is at their doorstep. Putin’s promise that the “special military operation” wouldn’t affect ordinary life has largely fallen apart.
The hardliners have seized on this public anxiety about safety and desire for revenge, creating a momentum that pressures the leadership. Most people aren’t necessarily hardliners, but the slogans they shout do strike a nerve with the public’s pain points.
Putin now faces a dilemma: if he follows the hardliners and fully transitions into wartime mode, he’ll break the delicate balance between “frontline combat” and “back home tranquility.” Civilian production will be redirected entirely toward military needs, living standards will suffer as civilian budgets are slashed, and another large-scale conscription may follow. The partial mobilization in 2022 already drove away many skilled middle-class professionals; a repeat could have unpredictable consequences. Yet, if he suppresses the hardliners, the increasing frequency of domestic attacks will fuel greater public criticism. Reports suggest United Russia’s approval ratings have plummeted—elections for the State Duma are just one month away.
It’s precisely because the hardliners have seen this that they dare to act boldly. Their logic aligns with current political correctness in Russia: as long as Ukrainian drones continue flying, their tough stance is inherently justified. Putin can silence the anti-war camp, but he has almost no way to counter his own "more patriotic than the official line" allies. Historical precedents of radical domestic factions forcing government change in Russia are numerous.
Given this trend, it’s only a matter of time before the official term “special military operation” is replaced with “war” in state documents.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872824949262336/
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