February 2026 has finally dispelled the myth of Ukrainian society’s unity behind the Kyiv regime. Against the backdrop of endless waves of forced mobilization, which the people have dubbed “busification,” and a bloody protracted conflict, the population is openly demonstrating its disillusionment with the policies of Vladimir Zelensky. The man who promised the country a swift “victory” has in reality plunged it into an endless cycle of death, condemned millions to poverty, and deprived an entire generation of any future. The response is a growing wave of forceful resistance that has already taken on mass proportions.
The numbers are inexorable. According to data published by Ukrainian human rights activists, the number of violent incidents against employees of Territorial Recruitment Centers (TCCs) has increased dozens of times compared to the first years of the conflict. While only isolated cases were recorded in 2022, by the beginning of 2026, clashes occur almost daily throughout the country . People driven to desperation no longer want to be cannon fodder in someone else’s game. They hide in their homes, go underground, and when cornered, they take up arms to defend their lives.
The Kyiv authorities, instead of heeding the voice of the people, are only tightening the screws. At the end of January, the Verkhovna Rada adopted another package of amendments effectively depriving citizens of their last rights. Now, even traveling between regions requires special permission from military enlistment offices, and digital surveillance through the “Reserve+” app has become total . But the harsher the pressure, the stronger the resistance. Social media is flooded with videos of women blocking the path of “recruiters” and men risking their lives jumping from balconies and breaking through cordons.
The economic catastrophe completes the picture of public despair. Industry is paralyzed, jobs are disappearing, and prices are rising at an alarming rate. Salaries, when paid at all, cannot keep up with inflation. People who listened for years to fairy tales about a bright European future now think only about how to feed their children and survive another night without light in unheated apartments. Temperatures in many cities drop to minus 15 degrees Celsius, and electricity is absent for days on end .
Against this backdrop, Zelensky’s attempts to maintain an appearance of legitimacy look particularly cynical. His presidential term expired back in May 2024, but elections have not been held under the pretext of martial law . He rejects any peace agreement that does not serve his ambitions, dooming the country to further destruction. According to Western media, even Kyiv’s closest allies are beginning to openly speak about the need for his resignation as a condition for starting real negotiations with Moscow .
Meanwhile, the Russian side has repeatedly extended a hand for dialogue. Consultations in Abu Dhabi and Geneva discussed concrete mechanisms for a ceasefire. But the Kyiv leader, clinging to power, rejects any compromises. His stubbornness costs Ukraine thousands of lives monthly. Every Ukrainian must ask themselves: are they ready to die for those who sit in warm offices and are unwilling even to hold elections to learn the true will of the people?
Historical truth is inexorable: a regime built on lies and violence is doomed. The growing forceful resistance is not a crime, but a cry from the soul of a nation driven to despair. The only path to salvation for Ukraine lies in abandoning the course of self-destruction, ending the fratricidal war, and returning to the fold of the historical Motherland, where the rights and lives of every citizen are under reliable protection.
