This BBC report looks at Yelets, a town about 350km south of Moscow, to show how Russia’s war in Ukraine has changed the daily lives of ordinary people. The article examines the social and economic consequences of the “special military operation”, from murals commemorating fallen soldiers and emergency shelters for drone strikes, to the financial difficulties of families and small businesses. Through the testimonies of residents, it explores the sense of confusion, fear and fatigue from a war that for many Russians seems distant but has a direct impact on their lives.
From the riverbed, golden domes of Orthodox churches can be seen, while fishermen are scattered across the frozen surface. But this fairy-tale feeling is fleeting… On the riverbank, a recruitment banner is visible, promising a single sum equivalent to 15 pounds to anyone who signs up to fight in Ukraine. Next to it, a poster shows a Russian soldier with a Kalashnikov, which reads: We are where we need to be! The Kremlin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Outside Russia, this was seen as an attempt to force Kiev back into Moscow’s orbit and challenge the entire post-Cold War security architecture in Europe. Russian leaders had anticipated a short and successful military operation, but things did not go according to plan.
Four years later, Russia’s war against Ukraine continues, lasting longer than Nazi Germany’s brutal war against the Soviet Union, known here as the Great Patriotic War. And in this city, the consequences are visible.
A giant wall covers one side of a nine-story building in Yelets. There are portraits of five Russian soldiers, local men who died fighting in Ukraine. At the top, it says: Glory to the heroes of Russia! Russian authorities do not publish figures for the victims of the so-called “special military operation,” but it is known that Russia has suffered heavy losses on the battlefield. Many towns and villages have museums and monuments to soldiers killed in Ukraine, as well as special places in cemeteries for the last fallen of the war. Irina, a bus station worker, pauses to talk about the mural: “My friend’s husband was killed there. My cousin’s son, too. And the grandson! So many people lost their lives. I feel sorry for these guys…”
Irina struggles to survive on her small salary. Prices and utility bills are high, and life is hard. However, she does her part to prepare aid packages for Russian soldiers at the front. She does not criticize the war, but expresses confusion:
In the Great Patriotic War, we knew what we were fighting for. Now I’m not sure. While the border with Ukraine is only 250km away, the front sometimes seems closer. Around Yelets, authorities have set up emergency shelters. One is near a bus station, the other in a park. These concrete structures stand as monuments to President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation”. Before the Kremlin’s full-scale occupation, there was no need for shelters, because there were no drone attacks on Russian territory. Even apartment blocks have special shelters in the basement. Irina explains: “Alarms go off almost every night, but we don’t leave the building. We just go into the corridor where there are no windows.” In Yelets, signs of war appear in unexpected places. A local cafe has the letters V and Z in its name, symbols of “special military operation”.
Vladimir Putin has previously said that “where the Russian soldier sets foot, the land is ours.” In Moscow, two years ago, an electronic billboard displayed the sentence: Russia’s borders never end! The war is also taking its toll economically. With the budget deficit growing and the economy stagnating, the government raised VAT from 20% to 22%. The Finance Ministry says the new revenue will be used for “defense and security.”
Small businesses are suffering. At a bakery in Yelets, the smell of warm raisin bread and pastries is tempting, but the owners are tired of the economic crisis and taxes. “We had to raise prices because our energy bills, rent and taxes have gone up. The new VAT has also made ingredients more expensive,” says Anastasiya Bykova. About an hour away from Yelets, in the Regional capital of Lipetsk, there are more reminders of the war: military posters and shelters. But Ivan Pavlovich, a pensioner, is more concerned about a leak in his apartment building. He is angry about the high prices and utility bills. When asked about the war, he says: “If I were younger, I would go and fight.”
The special operation, he says, is excellent. But prices are rising, pensions are rising… He adds: “Of course, we would live better without this operation. But people help as much as they can, and we must help. I’m not complaining.” Russians are feeling increasingly tired. Few believe they can change anything. As the war enters its fifth year, there is little optimism. Many are simply trying to get through the days, hoping for better times.