Russia's state-controlled polling agency VTsIOM announced on May 15 that it is changing the methodology used for its weekly approval surveys of Russian President Vladimir Putin following a sharp decline in the Kremlin's ratings in early 2026.
Putin's approval rating fell by 12.2 percentage points between late December and late April, reaching 65.6% — the lowest level recorded during Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
VTsIOM's data had shown a steady decline in Putin's ratings as the effects of Russia's worsening economic downturn and tightening online repression became increasingly visible.
Previously, the surveys were conducted entirely through telephone interviews using what VTsIOM described as a "random sample of mobile numbers."
Beginning in May, the pollster said it would switch to a "combined sample" system, with half of respondents surveyed by phone and the other half through door-to-door interviews.
