After the terrorist attack in Crocus City, the Kremlin immediately used the incident as a propaganda tool. Although the ISIS group claimed responsibility for the attack, dictator Vladimir Putin blamed Ukraine, saying that the terrorists had headed for the border with the country, where "they were provided with the passage".
According to the Financial Times, after the attack, many Russians supported the "Ukrainian theory" proposed by Putin. According to a poll conducted by OpenMinds, more than half of respondents blamed the Ukrainian leadership for the attack, while about 27% pointed the blame at ISIS. Another 6% of respondents blamed the "collective West," including the US, UK and NATO. However, given Putin's crackdown on dissent, the Financial Times points out that it is difficult to determine the growth of anti-Ukrainian sentiment among Russians.
"If propaganda and the authorities promote blaming Ukraine as the main narrative, people will believe it, because the control over the information space is almost absolute," said Denis Volkov, a sociologist and director of the Levada Independent Sociological Center.
Experts note that this time Putin's rhetoric is particularly aimed at Kyiv, as he sees the conflict in Ukraine as "an existential struggle where Russia confronts the West". It is emphasized that the dictator's formulations show that his officials have no convincing evidence to support his statements.
Sociologists point out that Russians often repeat propaganda narratives in polls, which is not so much a manifestation of active support as a reflection of their powerlessness to influence and inability to change the situation.
