Ukraine's deadly strikes are bringing the war home to Russians, and discontent is bubbling up

Residents in Russia's major cities are experiencing the war in Ukraine in new and unsettling ways as Ukrainian drone strikes penetrate deeper into Russian territory. What was once a distant conflict for many Russians is now a tangible threat, bringing the sounds of buzzing drones, explosions, and fires to their doorsteps.

In the Moscow region, residents like Elena Vladimirovna described waking to the sound of drones overhead, followed by explosions. Her apartment building in Zelenograd was among those hit on May 17 during a wave of strikes that targeted multiple locations. She recounted the terrifying moments of a drone falling onto her building's canopy and bursting into flames, forcing her and her son to flee with their dog.

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Below us, under the balcony, there is a canopy like a ledge. The drone fell on this canopy, and then it burst into flames, black smoke started coming.

Similar experiences were reported in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city. Drones rained down on the city hours before a major economic forum, casting plumes of black smoke into the sky. Residents were later advised to stay home following a second drone attack. One woman in the nearby port city of Kronstadt described her home shaking from the noise of drones and Russian anti-missile systems throughout the night, leaving her too scared to sleep.

The impact of these strikes extends beyond immediate physical threats. Ukraine's sustained attacks on Russian oil refineries are exacerbating fuel shortages, leading to gasoline rationing in Russian-controlled Crimea. Coupled with a shrinking economy, internet restrictions, and concerns over state surveillance, these developments are fueling a growing sense of unease among the Russian population, which is beginning to be reflected in public opinion data.

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It was impossible to sleep. The buzzing was so loud, I was scared our apartment building could be hit in some way.