Younger Russians pitted against older generations who were born or raised in communist East Germany or moved to the country after the collapse of the Soviet Union. “People don't have any real arguments why Putin is good, they just come with these crude accusations that we're too young and don't understand anything,” said Diana, 31.
In 2023, Germany closed four out of five Russian consulates in response to Moscow's decision to limit the number of German officials in Russia. The embassy in Berlin and the remaining consulate in Bonn were the only places in Germany where Russian citizens could vote.