Despite global condemnation of alleged war crimes, despite the military setbacks and the deaths of perhaps thousands of Russian troops, there's little sign that public opinion is turning against President Putin in his own country.
A grieving mother and father in rural Russia, from where many conscripts come, describe how their son Sergey Archakov died a "hero" and a "defender of our country".
The Nazi advance during the Second World War still casts a long shadow, with his aunt comparing the actions of her nephew to those of their grandfathers in the 40s and describing the Ukrainians as "satanists".
Report by Edwardst.
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