Years ago we were doing some work around public unrest, and models would include "legitimacy" of hardships being endured by a population as affecting their propensity to rebel/riot etc.
Hence why in WW2, the UK suffered extreme hardships - rationing, huge amounts of destruction - no-one was physically trying to overthrow the government as it was a "legitimate" hardship due to fighting the war, a war against an opporessor.
Russia *is* the oppressor and I don't think they can realistically say it's a pleasant thing for the population. So reinforcing that there's this *waves hand mysteriously* risk to the country, to the land, to the people - from wayward foreign subversive powers, will likely make anything ongoing seem legitimate.
Just like they made out the attack on Ukraine is legitimate. Because Ninja Nazi's.
