A week into Putin’s regime change war, Evgenia and I sit down to talk about our thoughts on what’s happening and about what we’re hearing from friends and family in Russia. On one side, it’s clear there are a lot of people totally backing Putin’s “humanitarian intervention” — for instance, my mom’s childhood friend in St. Petersburg screamed at her that “Putin is God” and that “he’s saving the Russian people.” On the other, a lot of Russians are shocked and totally terrified by what’s happening, and a good number of people are fleeing as best they can to wherever they can — Georgia, Azerbaijan, Israel, Turkey, European countries.

It’s obvious this war is splitting society in a big way. And Putin’s propagandists are working overtime, using the only thing that still sort of binds Russia together: a kind of aggrieved nationalism and the memory of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.

In a way, this regime change war is brining to conclusion a societal split that began in earnest in 2011 — when Putin turned his back on big city liberals and started pumping up support among Russia’s silent majority. Or, as Evgenia puts it, what’s emerged now is a coalition of ruling elite vampires and the “zombies” that Russian liberals love to mock. Operation Z.

—Yasha Levine

This is a preview of a full episode that is only available to subscribers. To hear the rest, sign up and listen here.

Catch up on some old eps:

* Putin's Grievance Speech...and, f**k this war.

* China's Olympic Menace and Immigrant Deprogramming with Carl Zha

* The Ayahuasca Special

* Christmas Special: Ghost of Epstein

* St. Paul of Amsterdam

* …more

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nefariousrussians.com/subscribe