Putin's Rating Declines For The Sixth Week In A Row

• 17.04.2026, 16:10

Against a backdrop of internet blockades and tax hikes.

The state-owned All-Russian Center for Public Opinion Research (VTsIOM) has recorded a sixth consecutive week of decline in the approval rating of Russian President Vladimir Putin's performance among citizens. According to the data of the poll published on Friday, April 17, between April 6 and April 12, the figure was 66.7%, having lost 1.1 percentage points compared to the previous week. Putin's level of trust also declined, down 1.8 percentage points to 72%.

The Russian president's rating, according to VTsIOM, is the lowest since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It was lower in the last poll before the war.

The level of support for the ruling United Russia party is also falling, while VTsIOM has recorded growth in the ratings of other parties represented in the State Duma.

Even in early February, Putin's approval rating was 75.1% and his trust rating was 78.7%. In March, the figures fell for the first time to levels below which they had been only on February 20, 2022 - four days before the war. At that time, the approval level was 64.3%, and the trust level was 67.2%.