Nearly 1 in 4 Russians say they distrust Putin, highest share since start of full-scale war

Trust in Vladimir Putin has fallen to 71 percent and his approval rating to 65.6 percent, according to new data from the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM). Some 24.1 percent of respondents said they do not trust Putin, and 23.3 percent do not approve of his performance as president.

The figures are the highest recorded since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, the independent Russian investigative outlet Agentstvo reported.

The approval rating dropped 1.1 percentage points from the previous week‘s 66.7 percent to 65.6 percent, while the trust rating fell one percentage point to 71 percent.

VTsIOM released the new data with a two-hour delay — a lag that media outlets noted. The center’s press service attributed it to technical issues.

The political bloc of Russia’s Presidential Administration advised publications to cite Putin’s rating as measured by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) rather than VTsIOM — or to skip the ratings entirely, according to a source at a media outlet loyal to the Russian government who spoke with Meduza.

The latest FOM data show 76 percent of respondents rate the president’s performance positively and 74 percent say they trust him.

VTsIOM has recorded declining approval for Vladimir Putin for seven consecutive weeks. A political technologist working with Russia’s Presidential Administration told Meduza that the slide reflects several overlapping pressures: the blocking of Telegram and restrictions on mobile internet, rising prices, and war fatigue among Russians.