Sociologists are recording a swift drop in trust in Vladimir Putin’s rule amid the war and a deepening crisis.
Russia’s power vertical is experiencing a prolonged ratings slump in the fourth year of its full-scale war against Ukraine. Fresh surveys show Russians have noticeably lost interest in and trust in federal politicians.
The figures were published by Russia’s Levada Center.
According to data released Friday, approval has fallen for the government, the State Duma, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin himself.
More Russians are voicing irritation with parliament. Only 56% support the Duma’s work — the lowest in three years and 15 percentage points below 2023. One in three respondents, 34%, say they outright dislike how lawmakers are doing their jobs.
The government has lost 9 points since May and now holds 67% approval, its worst result in two years. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin fell even more sharply: his rating dropped to 69% from 76% in the summer — his steepest slide in years and a two-year low, among the most significant declines for a federal figure.
Sergey Lavrov also declined. Amid rumors of Kremlin dissatisfaction with foreign-policy talks and accusations of failed contacts with Washington, his personal popularity is now roughly half its previous peaks. In the 2010s he held about 30% support; that figure has fallen to 17%. For the first time in a quarter-century, Lavrov is no longer a figure of unquestioned public trust.
Formally, Putin’s approval rating remains high at 84%. But an open-ended, no-prompt question tells a different story: only 48% volunteered Putin among the politicians they trust — below the winter 2024 reading of 56%. The post-Crimea high was 66%, a level far from today’s reality.
Political parties are losing ground, too. The ruling United Russia has fallen to a two-year low, with just 37% ready to vote for it. At the height of the war, in February 2024, the figure hit 50%, but that well of loyalty proved short-lived. A Just Russia slipped to 4% after writer Zakhar Prilepin receded from view, reinforcing a broader trend: Russians are turning away from the system built in Moscow.
The declining ratings reflect war fatigue, falling living standards and a lack of prospects. The Kremlin is no longer getting the same benefit of the doubt, and cracks in the political model are becoming harder to hide despite efforts to maintain control through force and censorship.
