Putin's approval rating sees sharpest weekly drop in nearly two years
Russian President Vladimir Putin (photo: Getty Images)
Trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin fell by 3.4 percentage points in just one week, while his approval rating dropped by 3.5 percentage points, according to a survey by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, as reported by the Russian news outlet Agentstvo.
It is noted that trust in Putin has not declined this quickly since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, while his approval rating has not fallen at this pace since 2024.
According to the survey, 73.3% of respondents told pollsters they trust the Russian president, while 22.1% said they do not. A week earlier, those figures stood at 76.7% and 18.8%, respectively.
At the same time, 66.9% of respondents approved of Putin's performance, while 21.3% said otherwise. A week earlier, the figures were 70.4% and 19.7%, respectively.
A decline in the public's assessment of the Russian leader's performance was also recorded by the Public Opinion Foundation, which cooperates with the Kremlin. According to its data, 70% of respondents believe Putin is doing a good job in office - 1 percentage point lower than a week earlier.
According to a survey by Russia's Levada Center, Putin's approval rating also fell by 5 percentage points in June 2026, from 79% to 74%.
In addition, the share of Russians who believe the country is moving in the right direction declined at a record pace in June.
The share of Russian residents who disapprove of the president's performance also increased from 15% to 21%. This is also the highest level since September 2022, when mobilization began.
The decline in the ratings comes amid a growing fuel crisis caused by Ukrainian Armed Forces strikes. The aerial attacks have also led to Crimea's isolation, disrupting this year's tourist season and causing the most severe fuel shortages compared to other regions.
Putin's ratings
At the end of June, Russian citizens' trust in President Vladimir Putin had fallen to its lowest level since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Recently, Russia has increasingly shown signs of internal instability and declining trust in the authorities amid the prolonged war. In particular, Putin recently faced a rare public demand from Russia's State Duma to present a clear plan for ending the fighting against Ukraine.
One lawmaker openly stated that, due to corruption, economic problems, and constant drone strikes, Russia is on the verge of a major social upheaval.
The trend of Putin's rapidly declining ratings is also confirmed by the Kremlin's own internal data.
According to secret documents intercepted by Ukrainian intelligence, Russian security services have already recorded a steady decline in support for the ruling party and warned the Russian president that public dissatisfaction with the authorities' actions will continue to grow at least through the autumn.
In addition, the Russian population appears to be showing increasing interest in when Russia's war against Ukraine will end. Ukrainian attacks, from which Russia's air defenses have failed to protect the population, have contributed to this.
