(MOSCOW) – Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has privately expressed fear for his personal safety if the war in Ukraine ends without the full capture of Donbas, reportedly telling close associates “They’ll hang me,” according to a report by The Economist published on 31st August 2026.
The publication’s sources indicate that Putin believes ending the war without achieving at least the minimal goal of seizing Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts poses a direct threat to his personal security.
“They’ll hang me,” Putin reportedly told several close associates at some point during the war, according to an informed source cited by The Economist.
The Kremlin is said to be weighing a new escalation, with plans to send an additional 300,000 to 400,000 troops to the front. This comes amid growing fatigue within Russian society over the protracted conflict and concerns about the radical pro-war Z-wing milieu.
The Economist reports that the Kremlin fears the reaction of the radical pro-war segment of society if the war concludes without an obvious victory. In March 2025, The Washington Post reported that Putin would need to carefully monitor the vocal and well armed community of military correspondents, volunteers and ultranationalists who have grown stronger during the war.
A senior Kremlin official acknowledged that among these groups there would “definitely be those dissatisfied” with any potential rapprochement with the United States, describing this segment of society as “very convinced.”
In May 2025, three Reuters sources close to the Kremlin indicated that Putin and Russian intelligence services were managing radical patriots to prevent them from disrupting Kremlin plans, though they were not considered an independent threat to Putin’s power.
According to The Economist, one of the problems worrying the Kremlin is the disappearance of society’s tacit consent to the war. Deep Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries and marketplace warehouses, along with internet restrictions imposed by security structures, have destroyed the appearance of normal life.
The magazine cites a Levada Centre poll showing that 57 percent of Russians characterise the situation in the country as tense, citing the war, the number of dead, mobilisation, drone attacks and the absence of a vision for the future.
Mood among the elites is described as even more sombre. According to a source cited by The Economist, the main problem is not so much the economy or the absence of military success, but rather the time the war has consumed.
“Whatever its outcome, nearly five years is a failure. There is a growing feeling that the emperor has no clothes,” an elite representative told the publication.
The Economist notes that none of Russia’s economic or political problems are fatal for Putin. He possesses economic resources and a repressive apparatus allowing the war to continue. However, perception matters, and continuing the war is not a solution.
“Inertial scenarios are disadvantageous for the Kremlin,” one representative of the Russian elite stated. “They only expend economic resources and squander political capital.”
The publication suggests these factors may make escalation attractive. After several weeks of reflection during the summer, Putin apparently decided to pursue escalation, according to sources close to the Kremlin.
Putin likely perceived the visit of CIA Director John Redcliffe as a sign of American weakness, according to a longtime acquaintance of the Russian dictator. The source noted that Putin similarly interpreted the November 2021 Moscow visit of William Burns, CIA director under Joe Biden, who came to warn against invading Ukraine. Three months later, Putin launched the invasion regardless.
On 30th August 2026, Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced preparations for massive strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The same day, Ukraine carried out missile strikes on targets in Belgorod.
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