Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, Moscow presents a facade of festive cheer, with elaborate decorations and ice rinks adorning public spaces like Red Square and Manege Square, celebrating both New Year and Chinese New Year. This outward display of celebration, according to a local resident, is a government effort to project happiness, contrasting sharply with the somber mood observed in the metro and the widespread knowledge of significant casualties. The war's impact is largely felt indirectly, with occasional drone incidents causing minor disruptions and the memory of the 2022 partial mobilization, which prompted hundreds of thousands to flee, still fresh. Sociologist Denis Volkov notes that public attention waned after mobilization ceased and volunteer recruitment began, with the government now relying on billboards and advertisements to entice men to sign army contracts, especially for drone pilot roles, as troop replenishment becomes increasingly difficult due to heavy losses and declining enlistment interest.