Russian police officers detain a demonstrator in St. Petersburg, February 24, 2022 (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Editor’s Note: EA’s Arnov-Paul Choudhury, a student at the University of Birmingham, is currently on a Study Year Abroad at St. Petersburg University in Russia.

I joined South Africa’s Radio Islam on Monday to discuss the views of Russians on Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.

Not many Russians support the invasion. Events do seem surreal. It’s been very hectic, with a lot of worry from many of the students, whether they are international or Russian.

The sanctions have the biggest effect on opinion.