Record number of Russians search for an end to the war – ISW
Photo: Putin's approval rating continues to decline (Getty Images)
The Russian public appears to be increasingly interested in when Russia's war against Ukraine will end. According to analysts, recent Ukrainian long-range strikes that Russia's air defenses failed to stop have contributed to the growing public concern, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The analysts pointed to a report published by Meduza. According to one of the outlet's sources, Yandex Wordstat, the analytics service of Russia's largest search engine, recorded more than 137,000 searches for the phrase "when will Russia end the war against Ukraine" between June 22 and June 28. It is the highest figure since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
According to Meduza, a significant share of those searches came from the Moscow and Leningrad regions, where the Kremlin had prioritized deploying air defense systems but largely failed to protect residents from Ukraine's long-range strikes.
The report also noted that searches asking when Russia would end the war have been rising for a second consecutive week. The previous peak came between June 1 and June 7, when Ukrainian drones attacked St. Petersburg during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
In addition, a survey conducted between June 19 and June 21 by the Kremlin-linked Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) found that Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval rating fell by five percentage points, from 74% to 69%, between June 12 and June 21. The decline came shortly after Ukraine carried out its largest strike on the Moscow region.
FOM's weekly polling also shows that public trust in Putin has been steadily declining since February 2026.
ISW noted that the Kremlin likely continues to exert political influence over polling conducted by Russian state-affiliated organizations. However, the analysts said it is significant that FOM acknowledges growing domestic dissatisfaction with Putin after more than four years of war.
"Putin has worked hard to shield major cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg from the effects of his war in Ukraine, but recent statistics suggest that the Russian public appears to grow weary of Russia’s war effort, likely as the Kremlin largely failed to isolate its constituents from the effects of Russia’s war," ISW concluded.
What else is known
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian intelligence had obtained classified documents that are delivered directly to Putin.
According to Zelenskyy, the documents include internal assessments of Putin's approval rating and public dissatisfaction with his leadership. He noted that while Putin rarely receives truthful information, even the reports reaching his desk reveal important trends.
RBC-Ukraine also previously reported that, according to Russian media, security officials are urging Putin to postpone Russia's State Duma elections due to the declining popularity of the ruling United Russia party, economic difficulties, and recent Ukrainian strikes on Moscow.
