Nearly 40% of Russians Approve of a Nuclear Strike on Ukraine, Poll Finds

The share of Russians supporting nuclear strike on Ukraine has risen, with 39% of respondents now considering the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine acceptable, according to Russian media citing a survey by the Levada Center.

Of those, 11% strongly support a nuclear strike on Ukraine, while 28% believe such an action could "probably be justified."

This represents a new high since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

"Gradually, these discussions [from the Russian government about about the potential use of nuclear weapons] are leading to an increasing number of people who believe that the use of nuclear weapons is acceptable and, in fact, morally justified," Aleksei Levinson, head of the social and cultural research department at the Levada Center, said at the "Country and World: Russian Realities-2024" conference.

As a result, public fear of nuclear weapons use is diminishing, and the idea of "What's the big deal?" is gaining traction, with nearly 40% of respondents adopting this view, Levinson noted.

Previously, Putin stated that the mass deployment of a new Russian Oreshnik in a single strike would deliver power comparable to a nuclear strike.