‘Putin Has Never Been Worse’ – Some Russians Are (Privately) Talking About an Uprising

Russian citizens overheard in an intercepted phone call predict their country “might never recover” if President Putin stays in power, claiming there are widespread discussions in their places of work about potential uprisings against the Kremlin.

In the recording published by Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR), two Russians decry the current regime, saying the country needs radical change to survive.

“There was a golden time [before Putin],” speaker 1 says. “People were normal; they loved, respected, and helped each other. And now they've turned into something like wolves.

“We might need to live another 100 years to reach the standards of the 1980s... considering what these individuals have done. And if they stay in power for another 10 years, we might never recover.”

His friend replies: “We have to wait for the people to rise and take action. Nothing else.”

His friend agrees, adding: “At work, everyone talks about it all the time. They say, ‘We’re fighting the wrong battle; we must go [to Moscow] and maybe establish order.’”

They then recall the failed rebellion by Wagner earlier in the summer, pointing out the mercenary group’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, nearly reached the Russian capital “not even in a day, but in 12 hours.”

Referring to the hastily arranged deal that brought an end to the mutiny, speaker 2 says: “Well, yes, Putin moved conscripts near Moscow and armed students. Prigozhin didn’t want this bloodshed.”

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He adds: “Well, Putin doesn’t care. He cares only for the money, the power, for his own a**. 

“This regime has never been worse.”

While the call may be evidence of discontent among the Russian population at Putin’s rule, public protests against the Kremlin or its full-scale invasion of Ukraine have been almost non-existent.

Widespread protests did break out in some cities last September, but these were in reaction to new conscription laws rather than Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Intercepted phones calls published by Ukraine’s military intelligence have provided numerous insights into the situation faced by Russians over the last few months, particularly soldiers.

Some of the more interesting ones include:

• ‘We’ll Tear You Apart’ – Ukrainian Soldiers Are Trolling Russian Commanders on Telegram
• ‘Trucks Full of Corpses’ – Intercepted Phone Call Suggests Massive Wagner Losses
• ‘War Until 2026’ - Russian Soldier Claims He’s Been Told To Expect 3 More Years of Fighting