Putin’s Approval Falls 3.5 Points to 66.9% as Fuel Shortages and War Strains Deepen
Updated
Updated · Institute for the Study of War · Jul 4
Putin’s Approval Falls 3.5 Points to 66.9% as Fuel Shortages and War Strains Deepen
3 articles · Updated · Institute for the Study of War · Jul 4
Summary
VTsIOM said Putin’s approval rating fell to 66.9% and trust to 73.3% in June 22-28, the sharpest weekly trust drop since at least February 2022.
Levada’s June poll showed approval sliding to 74% from 79%, disapproval rising to 21% from 15%, and the share saying Russia is on the right course dropping to 52% from 61%.
Polling centers tied to or tolerated by the Kremlin also reported rising anxiety, with FOM data showing 55% of Russians noticing anxiety around them—the highest level since the September 2022 mobilization period.
The decline tracks Russia’s slow and costly gains in Ukraine, a weakening domestic economy, censorship, and worsening gasoline shortages that the government is trying to ease by loosening fuel-sale and quality rules and importing 200,000 barrels of jet fuel via intermediaries.
ISW said the strain could limit Putin’s ability to demand further sacrifices for the war and may push the Kremlin to seek other ways to escalate while shoring up domestic support.