When they try to convince me that 146% of Russians would support war by showing polls, I sigh inwardly.

Let us remember for a moment that it is not at all in the nature of peoples to want war.
Why should they?
I don’t say this, Hermann Göring, commander of the Luftwaffe, said: ‘Of course, ordinary people do not want war – neither in Russia, nor in Germany, nor in England, nor in America, nor in any other country. Why should a poor peasant risk his life in war, when the best he can achieve is to return home safely? But, of course, all peoples eventually support their leaders. It is easy. Just tell them they are under attack. ”

Here is the question: have Putin and his people succeeded in convincing the Russians that they are under attack?
No, they have not succeeded.
That is why they are forced to pay huge sums for people to go and fight (and these people are not perceived by the people as defenders, quite the contrary!).

Then of course, in authoritarian regimes like Russia, what people say in the polls often does not reflect their true opinions, but rather what they think is safe to say, for fear of repression. But if you really want to draw conclusions from polls, at least actually read them.
Seriously, guys: try at least to read these polls in full. Read several of them.

And a tragicomic picture of collective schizophrenia will open up before you:
“The war is right, we started it well, we are fighting it successfully, the president is right about everything…” however “The war will not end soon” (strange, if we are winning). “We need to start peace negotiations” (why would that be, if everything is going well?).
More than 80% of respondents would support a peaceful decision taken by Putin (translated: ‘We support anything, as long as you leave us alone’). More than half would agree to an unconditional ceasefire (again: why, if everything is going great?).

The majority ‘can’t answer’ when asked what would be desirable, acceptable or likely peace conditions for them (translated: ‘we don’t care anymore, just get it over with’).

Do these really sound like the answers of enthusiastic supporters of war?

To me, they sound more like the answers of an exhausted people, who have well understood how they must respond in order not to have problems.
Bloodthirsty enthusiasm? Not forthcoming.

Plus, there are polls on the so-called ‘special operation heroes’, and what do people think of them?
That they are people who went to fight for money.
They are not perceived as defenders, because nobody sent them to defend anything. According to many, they do not deserve privileges, and indeed their return home is worrying, because ‘their souls are paralysed’.
Does this really sound like the image of defending heroes painted by propaganda?
No. They sound more like potential problems to be avoided.

Look at the popularity rankings of politicians: the most popular are Mishustin, Sobyanin, Kirienko, Siluanov. Have you ever heard them extolling war? Or invite them to enlist and die for the fatherland?
Never.
When they talk about the war, they do so only in administrative and technical terms. Assuming they talk about it at all.

And why would they, if it were a popular cause?
A politician always exploits the most heartfelt topics to gain consensus. Well, the subject of war is avoided by all.
And the ‘veterans’ so celebrated by propaganda are not pushed into politics, despite their promises: people would not vote for them.

In short, Russia is not a country enthusiastic about war: it is a frightened, passive, and deeply disillusioned country.
Propaganda has not generated a totalitarian ideology in the manner of Nazism. It has generated something more subtle and poisonous: apathy, resignation and a sense of powerlessness.

To be clear: none of this is a justification. But neither does it make sense to portray Russian society as a bloodthirsty people eager for war.

Even official polls do not show this picture. And in everyday reality it is seen even less.
Fear is real, but it does not produce consensus. It produces silence. And silence is not support.