More than half (52%) of Russians say they have friends or relatives who took part in the Russian war against Ukraine, according to a defense intelligence statement published on Twitter by the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Saturday with the link on the data of a sociological survey conducted in Russia.

In this regard, British intelligence said it is becoming increasingly difficult for the Kremlin to protect the Russian population from the war in Ukraine.

"Andrey Turchak, the leader of the Russian parliamentary group that is focused on the so-called Special Military Operation in Ukraine [the name of the war used in the Russian Federation], stated on February 16, 2023 that the group had presented a report to Russian President Putin. The report is likely to cover issues such as social support to those mobilized and their families. This issue is likely to become more salient if any further mobilization (be it overt or tacit) takes place. Putin may well refer to these issues in his state of the nation address on 21 February 2023," the agency said.