Russian trust in Putin drops at fastest pace since full-scale invasion
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin (Photo: REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Pool)
Trust in Russian dictator Vladimir Putin fell by 3.4 percentage
points in one week, while his job approval dropped by 3.5 percentage points,
according to a survey by Russia’s state pollster.
The figures come from the Russian Public Opinion Research
Center, or VTsIOM, the Russian outlet Agentstvo
reported on July 3.
The outlet said trust in Putin had not fallen that quickly
since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, while his approval
rating had not dropped at that pace since 2024.
A total of 73.3% of respondents said they trusted the
Russian dictator, while 22.1% said they did not. A week earlier, the figures
were 76.7% and 18.8%, respectively.
At the same time, 66.9% of respondents said they approved of
Putin’s performance, while 21.3% said they disapproved.
A week earlier, those figures were 70.4% and 19.7%,
respectively.
The last time Putin’s approval rating fell this quickly was
in August 2024, when he lost 3.5 percentage points in a week, the outlet
reported.
The Public Opinion Foundation, which works with the Kremlin,
also recorded a worsening assessment of Putin’s performance. Its data showed
70% of respondents said Putin was doing a good job in office, down 1 percentage
point from the previous week.
The outlet said the 70% reading was the lowest since the
start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
A June 2026 survey by Russia’s Levada Center showed Putin’s
approval rating falling by 5 percentage points, from 79% to 74%, Agentstvo
reported on July 2.
The outlet also said the share of Russians who believe the
country is moving in the right direction fell at a record pace in June.
The share of Russians who disapprove of Putin’s performance
also rose from 15% to 21%, the highest level since September 2022, when
mobilization began, the outlet noted.
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