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“Extremely Unsuccessful”: Russians’ Rating of War Hits Historic Low
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Public support for Russia’s war in Ukraine has fallen to its lowest level in more than four years of polling.
Only 8% of respondents described the military actions as "very successful." Another 8% rated the operation as "extremely unsuccessful," 20% called it "rather unsuccessful," and 22% stated they found it "difficult to answer," according to ZN.UA on August 7.
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Furthermore, the share of respondents who "rather do not support" or "definitely do not support" the actions of Russian forces reached 21%, marking a record high since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.
Meanwhile, those who "definitely" support the military campaign dropped to 34%, down from over half during the first month of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Political analysts Tatyana Stanovaya and Abbas Gallyamov note that Ukraine’s long-range strikes have brought the realities of the fighting into Russia’s domestic civilian economy, creating unexpected challenges for the Kremlin.
When Russians overwhelmingly voted for Vladimir Putin 26 years ago, their main motivation was a desire for personal security, stability, and a prosperous life free from ammunition depot explosions or fuel shortages. However, recognizing that the campaign has lacked success does not translate into willingness among the Russian public to engage in genuine peace negotiations, according to ZN.UA.
Respondents primarily hold Europe, the United States, and Ukraine responsible for the lack of a peaceful resolution. Only about a quarter of those polled favor making concessions to Ukraine and Western nations to reach a peace agreement.
Conversely, more than half of respondents believe Russia should intensify its military strikes against Ukraine, a balance of opinion that sociologists note has remained virtually unchanged over the past six months.
On May 14, 2026, potential for protests in Russia reached its highest level in nearly two years, according to a survey conducted by the independent Levada Center and reported by Agentstvo.
The April poll revealed that 20% of Russian respondents believed mass demonstrations against declining living standards were possible, while 14% considered protests with political demands likely.
These figures represented an increase of 4 and 3 percentage points, respectively, compared to the previous survey conducted in November 2025. According to Agentstvo, both metrics marked the highest levels recorded since July 2024.
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