As much as 80% of the Russian population actively supports the war in Ukraine.

Putin’s propaganda machine and information blockades have been highly effective for decades and today block the flow of facts about atrocities in Ukraine, weaving a narrative from disinformation to Putin’s own advantage.

Anyone who may be against the war in Russia despite the propaganda faces the threat of draconian punishment for criticizing the regime. People are afraid of their fellow citizens and feel non-empowered to protest.

Creating space and informing Russians who can break through this fear is critical to any attempt to stop Putin. Bypassing Putin’s propaganda machine and information blackouts by connecting directly with Russians exposes Russians to the truth about the humanitarian tragedy in Ukraine and can empower Russians to stand against the war.

Call Russia is a platform for concrete conversations with one aim – breaking through Putin’s propaganda machine and information blackouts. It is one thing is to make a phone call and another entirely to know what to say.

From the beginning, Call Russia put together a team of 4 psychologists to develop conversation guidelines, which were constantly tested and updated to reflect best practice. The guidelines have been exceptionally effective, with a striking rate of 47% of calls judged as positive by volunteers.

The official magazine of the American Psychological Association, Monitor on Psychology, has cited Call Russia as the best example of how to speak with Russians.

Call Russia has been recognized as a model for countering disinformation and featured in 800+ top-tier articles from CNN, BBC, CBS News, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and others, reaching an audience of 1.7+ billion. The European Council, representatives of various governments, and NGOs have consulted Call Russia on countering disinformation and implementing similar communications principles in their own work.

Call Russia’s most important contribution is the more than 130,000 calls made from more than 130 countries in just four weeks. Nearly half these conversations have been positive, showing significant progress in the one factor Putin fears most – putting the truth in the hands of the Russian people.