Putin's Approval Rating Plummeted On The Eve Of The Election

• 17.09.2026, 17:10

The effects of the war are taking an increasingly heavy toll on the Russian people.

On the eve of the State Duma elections, Putin’s approval rating has dropped. Over the past year, the Russian president has lost 13 percentage points in support amid the war, fuel shortages, and increasingly evident economic difficulties. The consequences of the war—which the Kremlin had promised would be fought far from Russian cities—are increasingly hitting ordinary Russians directly, writes Newsweek (translation by Charter97.org).

According to the independent Levada Center, 76% of Russians approved of Putin in August. Over the course of the year, his approval rating dropped by 13 percentage points. In May, VTsIOM recorded an even sharper drop—to 65.5%, the lowest level since the start of the full-scale war. By the end of August, the figure had risen to 66.9%.

The war is increasingly encroaching on the daily lives of Russians. Ukrainian drones are attacking oil refineries and other facilities, and Russian regions are experiencing shortages of gasoline and mobile internet.

“Putin is unpopular; right now, he wouldn’t win an election against practically any sensible candidate,” Russian economist Konstantin Sonin told Newsweek.

At the same time, the upcoming election can hardly be called a genuine political contest. The Supreme Court of Russia has barred the anti-war Yabloko party from participating in the election via party lists. The other parties represented in the State Duma largely support the Kremlin’s key decisions.

“The Kremlin has done everything to ensure that people have no choice,” Sonin believes.

Officially, the elections are meant to demonstrate the stability of the government and broad support for Putin’s policies. But falling approval ratings amid economic difficulties and attacks on Russian infrastructure are creating an unfavorable backdrop for the Kremlin.