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 disempowered 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.

The creative idea was simple: one phone call won’t end the war, but 40 million might. The Russian people themselves, armed with the truth, had the power to stand against Putin.

Execution, however, was immensely complicated. For Call Russia to work, Russian-speaking volunteers need to invest significant time and emotional effort into a seemingly impossible task. Early volunteers said it would be much easier to donate money than to make these draining calls.

Our compelling assets and authentic voice rallied volunteers and supporters around the word to make “the most important call of their lives,” and we set an ambitious goal with the 40 million phone numbers in our database, even though it was difficult to reach. Call Russia volunteers and supporters know that, like the war, the scope of the challenge is immense but that every conversation matters.

Call Russia assessed from the outset that recruiting callers would rely on massive earned media, as well as active and authentic social media presence, to compensate for its lack of advertising budget and no pre-existing name recognition.

The strategy highlighted Call Russia’s massive scale (more than 40 million phone numbers) and its uniquely in-depth approach. Call Russia is far from an impersonal or automated campaign. It is deeply reliant on human perseverance and connection.

Preparation began with Call Russia’s cutting edge, bilingual web platform and moving video anthem, complemented by an attention-grabbing press release to be distributed widely via newswire and personally-tailored pitches for top media targets.

To provide media with human narratives and show calling in action, Call Russia recruited and prepared a bank of media-ready volunteers (carefully respecting the volunteers’ concerns about safety and privacy in the face of Russia’s draconian punishments for anyone speaking against the war).

Preparation began with Call Russia’s cutting-edge, bilingual web platform and moving video anthem, complemented by an attention-grabbing press release to be distributed via PR Newswire and personally tailored pitches for top media targets.

From the beginning, we put together a team of psychologists to develop conversation guidelines, which were constantly tested and updated to reflect best practice. 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.

High-priority media had access to organizers and volunteers while the release and website were embargoed, followed by a globally coordinated launch. Top-tier coverage appeared nearly at once in global media and markets with the large Russian diaspora (e.g., U.S., UK, Lithuania, and Poland). A 24/7 virtual press room triaged inquiries and secured additional print, broadcast, and audio coverage (e.g., the popular BBC Ukrainecast and NPR’s This American Life).

Call Russia is featured in 800+ top-tier articles from CNN, BBC, CBS News, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, RTL News (Germany), and others, reaching an audience of 1.7+ billion.

The initiative’s entirely organic Twitter presence reinforced earned media and far exceeded the results of massively funded campaigns. Influential figures who shared Call Russia’s moving video anthem and call to action include Richard Branson and former International Space Station Commander Scott Kelly.

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 of these conversations have been positive, showing significant progress in advancing the one thing Putin fears most: putting the truth in the hands of the Russian people.