Levada put Putin’s June approval at 74%, down 13 points from August 2025, while 64% of Russians said peace negotiations should begin and 29% wanted the war to continue.
60% of Russians told Gallup local conditions were getting worse — the bleakest reading in at least two decades — as petrol prices rose 16% since January and the central bank cut 2026 growth to 0%-1%.
Ukrainian drone attacks and Kremlin-ordered mobile internet shutdowns are pushing the war into daily life, disrupting payments, navigation, deliveries and fuel supplies in cities once insulated from the fighting.
Putin still faces no organized political challenger because security services, courts, media and elections remain tightly controlled, but criticism from loyalists, businesses and online figures has become unusually public.
The shift matters because Putin’s legitimacy has long rested on stability and rising living standards; with inflation seen at 6%-7% and support for talks climbing, that argument is weakening.