Putin's approval ratings plunge amid Kursk offensive

The Russian portal Meduza, publishing the results of the latest public opinion survey, reports that Vladimir Putin's approval and social trust ratings have dropped to a record low. The offensive in the Kursk region is a backdrop to the Ukrainian Armed Forces' offensive.

The approval and trust ratings for Vladimir Putin have dropped to a record low level against the backdrop of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' operations in the Kursk region, as evidenced by the results of the survey conducted by the All-Russian Centre for the Study of Public Opinion (WCIOM).

Russians were asked whether they agreed with Vladimir Putin's actions. From August 12 to 18, public support dropped by 3.5 percentage points to 73.6%. A week earlier, from August 5 to 11, 77.1% of respondents expressed their approval of Putin's actions.

When asked whether they trust Putin, 78.2% of respondents answered affirmatively. A week ago, 80.8% of those surveyed said "yes." This means that the level of trust in the dictator dropped by 2.6 percentage points within the week.

The agency notes that this is a record drop in both indicators since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces in February 2022.

During the war, trust in Putin fell below 78% only twice—as a result of the mobilization at the turn of 2022 and 2023 and after Yevgeny Prigozhin's rebellion.