Russian state agencies record rise in discontent with Putin among Russians - ISW

Survey findings

On Friday, August 30, the Public Opinion Foundation released a survey conducted on the 25th of this month, revealing that 28% of respondents expressed anger or dissatisfaction with the actions of the Russian authorities. This marks an increase from 25% and 18% in surveys conducted on August 11 and July 27, respectively.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted that the level of dissatisfaction reported by Public Opinion has not been this high since a November 2022 survey conducted after the first month of partial mobilization in Russia.

Meanwhile, the Russian state-owned Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) reported a drop in Putin's approval rating from 77.1% to 73.6% (a 3.5% decrease) between August 12 and 18. This represents a record decline even among Kremlin-affiliated sociologists since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

VCIOM’s latest survey on August 30 showed a further decrease in Putin’s approval rating from 73.6% to 72.4% (a 1.2% drop) from August 19 to 25, 2024.

ISW conclusion

Analysts pointed out that the surveys conducted by Russian state agencies do not indicate particularly pronounced dissatisfaction and may not accurately reflect the real sentiments within Russian society.

However, these surveys suggest that the Kremlin feels compelled to acknowledge rising public discontent following the Ukrainian military operation in the Kursk region.

The Kremlin likely hopes that this limited acknowledgment of public dissatisfaction will shield it from accusations of ignoring Russian societal concerns regarding the situation in the Kursk region.

"The Kremlin appears to have launched an intricate messaging campaign aimed at justifying to its domestic audience why Russia is prioritizing the maintenance of offensive operations in eastern Ukraine over immediately expelling Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region, and limited acknowledgments of discontent may be a part of this campaign," the report concluded.

Fighting in the Kursk region of Russia

For nearly four weeks, Ukrainian Defense Forces have been conducting an operation in the Kursk region. On Tuesday, August 27, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported that Ukrainian troops now control 100 settlements in the Kursk region. Additionally, 594 Russian military personnel have been captured as part of the operation. Ukrainian successes have continued in the following days.

As of the latest update on August 30, Ukrainian forces have advanced an additional 2 kilometers in the Kursk region. There has also been an update on the prisoner exchange fund. Syrskyi reported these developments during a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff.