More than a third of Russians do not understand the objectives of the operation in Syria
Two-thirds of Russians follow the course of the Russian military operation in Syria, which started in the autumn of 2015, and has been declared finished three times since, according to data provided by the Public Opinion fund (POF) based on a survey conducted in February.
But despite the interest, people are not well informed about the goals pursued by Russia within the military campaign. According to Reuters, hundreds of Russian have been killed during the operation.
Of those polled, 18% stated the goal of the campaign was "striving to achieve peace in Syria." 10% said it is about the fight against international terrorism and against the Islamic State", while 8% felt it was to protect the Russian Federation against terrorist threats. Another 8% believe that Russia is defending its national interests and strengthening its influence in the region.
Although half of the population supports intervention in the Syrian conflict, this number has decreased since October 2017, where 52% supported the operation in Syria.
27% of Russians (26% - 4 months ago) are against military actions in Syria.