Russia’s war against Ukraine has also left its mark on Russian cities. Voronezh is an example of that. Everyday life is marked by the proximity to the front.
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Voronezh is located around 500 kilometers south of Moscow and not too far from the front line in eastern Ukraine. It is a city with 1 million inhabitants. They say that their everyday life has changed a lot in the last four years.
The very expression of the city has also changed: anti-aircraft systems stick up behind camouflage nets. In the center, large murals honor soldiers killed on the battlefield. Countless propaganda posters encourage people to join the army.
The sound of drones, sirens and explosions has become everyday.
Wants away from the war
Tucked away in a tent on the frozen river, tractor driver Roman wants to relax, disconnect, think about fish – and escape the fear of Ukrainian drone attacks.
– I wake up more often because of the explosions, he said.
– We have sirens and explosions every day. It’s terrifying, of course, he says.
A recruitment center in the city offers future soldiers a lump sum of 2.5 million roubles, or just over NOK 311,000. This corresponds to three years’ average salary in the region.
The large sums of money on offer have enabled Russia to maintain a manpower advantage over Ukraine despite massive losses.
Enlist
Last year, 422,000 Russians enlisted in the military, according to former president and deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev. This was a decrease of 6 percent compared to 2024.
Roman does not want to enlist in the war.
– No, no. Not for any amount, emphasizes the 48-year-old, who does not want to give his surname.
64-year-old Lyudmila has a son who enlisted. He has been missing in action for four months now. She has dark circles under her eyes.
– It is very difficult. I have hope, because without hope…, she says, her eyes filling with tears.
Is he killed? Captured? She doesn’t know.
Does not provide numbers
Russia does not officially state how many of its soldiers have been killed.
Although her son is missing in the war, Lyudmila chooses to volunteer for an organization that sews camouflage clothing for soldiers. She does it to have something to do.
Ukraine hard hit
Russia does not seem to have the will to stop the war. The country fires daily volleys of missiles and drones at Ukraine. The latest wave has paralyzed the energy system of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, and that in the coldest season. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have been left without heating at the same time as the temperature drops to minus 20 degrees.
In retaliation, the Ukrainian army has fired drones at Russia, mainly targeting ports and energy infrastructure.
The Voronezh region borders a part of Ukraine captured by Russia and is most vulnerable to airstrikes, Russian Ombudsman Tatjana Moskalkova said recently.
Although the losses cannot be compared with those in Ukraine, the attacks cause fear here as well. Last month, one person was killed here.
Silent protest
The authorities are therefore conducting an active recruitment and propaganda activity to gather support for the war against Ukraine. But not everyone is biting.
Amidst the multitude of military posters around the city, there are signs that not everyone shares the patriotic enthusiasm for war.
After Russia began its offensive, the artist Mikhail attached small ceramic plaques to buildings and walls with calls for peace.
They resemble peace plaques that were put up in the Soviet era with messages such as “Peace” or “Friendship” written on them – they were then part of the propaganda of the time.
– I wanted to remind people of the story of our grandmothers, grandfathers and great-grandparents, who throughout my childhood said that war is terrible, the 28-year-old, who goes by the nickname Noi, told AFP.
– What we should always strive for is peace.
But since anti-war activism is banned in Russia, his plaques are being removed.