According to the latest figures from the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, Putin’s approval rating fell to 66.7% between April 6 and April 12, which is a 1.1% decrease from the previous week. His trust rating also dropped by 1.8 points to 72%.
These are the lowest approval levels since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The only lower figure recorded in recent years was 64.3% in a survey conducted just before the invasion.
Support for the ruling United Russia party has also continued to decline.
Polling agencies did not specify the reasons behind the falling approval ratings. However, Current Time has noted growing public frustration, including among pro-war audiences, over restrictions on internet and social media access, including the blocking of the Telegram messaging app, in recent weeks.
Rising prices and war fatigue have also contributed to the decline.
Since early March 2026, Russian authorities have actively begun "jamming" mobile internet in Moscow and other cities of the aggressor country. In the center of the Russian capital, communication is almost entirely absent, and in other areas, often only "white-listed" government websites work, Russian media reported.
Telegram messenger almost completely stopped working in Russia on March 16, as of Downdetector data. Specifically, the mobile app and web version were down.
Roskomnadzor earlier stated that the messenger "does not comply with the requirements of Russian legislation," therefore its operation would be consistently restricted. Back in February, communication on Telegram had indeed deteriorated, and true panic broke out on propaganda channels, as Russian invaders on the front lines could no longer communicate via Telegram.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov stated that the Russian authorities are thus trying to "force their citizens to switch to a state application created for surveillance and political censorship." He was referring to the so-called national messenger MAX, fully controlled by Russian intelligence services.