Russians’ trust in Putin falls to lowest level since start of war
A survey by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) shows that trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin has dropped to 69%, the lowest figure since the full-scale war began.
A survey conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) from June 19–21 revealed that Russians’ trust in President Vladimir Putin has fallen to 69%, the lowest level recorded since the start of the full-scale war. This represents a five-percentage-point decrease from the previous week, when trust stood at 74%.
According to the independent Russian business outlet The Bell, even during the mobilization in September 2022, the retreat from Kherson in November 2022, and Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mutiny in June 2023, the figure never dropped below 74–76% in FOM polls. Previously, trust had dipped to 71% in mid-May and late March 2026.
The share of respondents who said they do not trust the president rose from 15% to 18% over the week. The share giving Putin a positive performance rating fell from 75% to 71%.
The poll also found that the share of respondents who rate the government’s performance positively dropped four percentage points to 44% – the lowest figure in at least the past year.
The number of people who noticed rising gasoline prices jumped sharply from 38% to 48% over the week.
In contrast, a survey by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) conducted June 15–21 showed an increase in Putin’s ratings. The share of respondents approving of his performance as president rose from 67.7% to 70.4%, and his trust rating climbed from 73.3% to 76.7%.
