I'll read your article first, and then we'll talk.

I wrote an effort post here!

Hey there—maybe I'm doing something wrong? I'm new around here.

Yesterday I opened your link and saw the text, but I wanted to read it today with a fresh mind. Now, though, the link won't open. Are you able to open it?

Since I’m a Spaniard, I’ve come accross my fair share of Anarchists claiming that the USSR engaged in mass repressions of anarchists in Spain during our civil

I can certainly answer your questions, though I never actually claimed to be from Russia. However, I do have relatives and friends there—and have had them since long before the war. I know exactly what’s going on there, all the way out to the Far East... :))))

The situation there is much like it is in China right now. Some people are living the high life—somewhere like Moscow or St. Petersburg—and have absolutely no clue what’s happening east of the Urals. To them, "Russia" is just a bigger version of Moscow... :))) Yet, at the same time, I have acquaintances from beyond the Urals who complain bitterly about their lives.

And he does seem to have grounds to argue with me—after all, I don't actually live in Russia myself.

I argue with them until I’m hoarse—much in the same way I argue with Chinese people here about China... :))))

Life in Russia varies greatly, but if you compare it to the U.S. in broad terms, I believe that living conditions for the average person are actually better and safer in Russia. As for Moscow and St. Petersburg—they are magnificent cities; when I first visited St. Petersburg back in the 80s, I fell completely in love with the place. I highly recommend visiting them.

What’s your opinion on the current CPRF?

The CPRF is a hollow shell—nothing more than window dressing designed to placate that segment of the population that still believes in Stalin.

Perhaps back in the 90s, Zyuganov might have been able to effect change, but he let his opportunity slip away. Now, it is too late.

However, a new wave is currently emerging in Russia—particularly in recent times—comprising people, including the youth, who are finally beginning to see the light. It all began when modern historians with a socialist orientation debunked the myth that Stalin was a villain. Much of the information regarding Stalin had been derived from Solzhenitsyn, who wrote his books at the behest of the CIA and in pursuit of a Nobel Prize. And when Solzhenitsyn returned to the USSR during the Perestroika era, he was welcomed as a hero. Yet now that all of this has been exposed as a fabrication, the public has begun to reflect—and to realize that, all this time, they have been brazenly lied to! The most disheartening aspect of this is that, at the unveiling of the Solzhenitsyn monument, Putin was the very first person to lay flowers.

"Some Marxist-Leninists, myself mostly included, believe that the current war In Ukraine is in response to western meddling in Russia’s sphere of influence."

Operation Aerodynamic, in essence, has never been cancelled.

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/AERODYNAMIC%20%20%20VOL.%201_0113.pdf

By now, this is no longer a secret to anyone. I knew about it from the very beginning—since 2014. I’ll go even further: not only did I know about it, but I witnessed it all personally. All this time, Ukraine was preparing for war; the propaganda was insane—it would make Goebbels look like an amateur.... In the end, a generation of zombies emerged—people who are only just now beginning to come to their senses and see the light. But this awakening won't change a thing!

"While we don’t support the form of the current Russian government and we are disgusted by its internal repression of women’s and queer rights"

That’s an astonishing story, Comrade! This is the first I’ve heard of women’s rights being infringed upon in Russia.

As for your second point, you’re unlikely to change the Russian mentality. In case you didn’t know, for Russians, the gravest insult—one that will get you into a fistfight—is that very word.

Both Russians and Ukrainians on the front lines refer to their enemies using that exact term. Have you seen Budanov’s diary?

Just recently—literally a few days ago—they held a parade in Odessa; the police had to provide security because nationalists were trying to break it up.

The overwhelming majority of people—in both Russia and Ukraine—view this extremely negatively. I’m telling you this as a matter of fact.

"I’ve seen macroeconomic reports pointing to an increase in salaries in Russia since the beginning of the conflict, mostly attributed to the reduced workforce due to both mobilization and emigration."

It all seems a bit jumbled—are you referring to the wage increases and the shortage of jobs?

https://news-kharkov.ru/society/2026/05/06/204459.html

Russia certainly faces economic challenges linked to the war; were it not for Iran and Russia's ability to sell more oil, the country would be running a budget deficit. Additionally, the VAT was raised by 4 percent—again, a measure taken in response to the war and the associated economic difficulties.

The casualties from the war are not significant enough to have a major impact on demographics. Yes, there is an observed outflow of migrant workers and a shortage of labor for physically demanding jobs, but I do not believe this will lead to a crisis comparable to the one in Ukraine.

That source is from the Ukrainian press:

https://24tv.ua/business/ru/trudovye-migranty-v-ukraine-migrantov-iz-indii-mozhno-zamenit-pensionerami-rynok-truda-2026_n3065552

In reality, the problem is far more serious. Right now, everyone is in hiding; those who were able to flee have already done so.