Distrust in Kremlin and fear of repression dominate Russian public sentiment

The overall assessment of the situation in Russia continues to worsen, the USP noted.

"The survey results demonstrate a gradual accumulation of public irritation in Russia due to economic problems, restricted freedoms, repressive practices, and war fatigue," the sociologists concluded.

"At the same time, a significant portion of the population continues to avoid answering political questions directly, indicating a high level of fear and self-censorship in Russian society."

While 36.2% of respondents in October 2025 said Russia was moving in the right direction, this figure plummeted to just 10.5% in May of this year.

Conversely, the share of those who assess the course of events as "rather wrong" or "completely wrong" has surged to 81.7%, the USP emphasized based on the new study's results.

Attitudes toward Russian dictator Vladimir Putin appear fractured. Only 33.8% of respondents fully or partially approve of Putin's actions, while 45.8% disapprove. Another 20.4% were undecided. Experts stressed this indecision likely reflects the fear of openly expressing a political stance under an authoritarian regime.

The biggest factors altering attitudes toward Putin over the last month were the blocking of the Telegram messaging app and mobile internet restrictions, cited by 51.4% of respondents. Surging prices and inflation were noted by 45.2%. Another 31.2% linked their shifting views on the dictator to Ukrainian drone and missile strikes on Russian territory.

Trust in official Kremlin reports regarding the domestic situation remains low. About 59.2% of respondents "rather distrust" or "completely distrust" the state narrative, while only 23.2% expressed full or partial trust.

"A distinct indicator of the atmosphere of fear in Russian society is the attitude toward freedom of speech," USP highlighted.

A striking 64.7% of respondents agreed with the statement, "Nowadays, it is better not to speak out against the government," while only 17.5% disagreed.

A majority of Russians feel the country's security situation has deteriorated. A mere 18.7% report feeling safe, whereas 73.8% believe the country has become "rather unsafe" or "unsafe" under Putin's rule.

In the context of the fire in Tuapse (Krasnodar Krai), Russians sharply criticized the government's handling of emergencies this year.

According to the sociologists, 56.5% of respondents stated the authorities acted ineffectively or showed complete incompetence. Only 14.2% evaluated the government's response positively.

"At the same time, an absolute majority — 84% — place the main responsibility for the disasters and fires in 2026 personally on Vladimir Putin," USP reported.

A significant portion of respondents also blamed relevant ministries, the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry, supervisory bodies, and the government as a whole.

Regarding the war against Ukraine, respondents most frequently cited concerns over military corruption (39.9%), deaths in the so-called "Special Military Operation" (37.2%), fear for their own safety and that of their loved ones (34.4%), and strikes on Russian territory (33.1%).

Economic factors also remain decisive. The study found that 63.8% of respondents link their distrust of the government to a low quality of life and social vulnerability. Another 57.7% attribute it to a sense of the country's overall decline, and 54.7% point to uncertainty about the future.

USP conducted the study via a classic telephone survey (CATI), disguised as market research, between May 1 and May 6, 2026. The sample included 2,000 respondents and is representative of Russia's population by age, gender, settlement type, and region within internationally recognized borders. The theoretical margin of error is 2.2%.