Zelenski reveals intercepted Kremlin polls showing Putin's approval sliding to 55% by September
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski has released secret Russian polling documents that project Vladimir Putin's approval at 55% by the 20 September Duma elections, while Kremlin analysts warn of a protest spike and the need for wider electoral manipulation.
Intercepted documents
Ukraine’s intelligence services intercepted secret internal Russian polling and forecasts intended for the Kremlin’s top levels. On 14 June 2026, Volodimir Zelenski published the documents on Telegram, exposing deepening official anxiety over domestic stability just months before the September parliamentary elections.
So-called indicators predicting Russians’ dissatisfaction with Putin will continue to grow steadily. He has already started getting used to the idea that this increase in dissatisfaction cannot be stopped, and this indicator will not stabilise before September, when parliamentary elections are scheduled in Russia.
- Zelenski publishes intercepted Russian internal polling on Telegram
- Russian State Duma elections; internal forecast projects 55% approval for Putin
Forecasting a slump
The intercepted projections estimate that by 20 September 2026, only 55% of the population will still approve of Putin’s actions, while 33% will explicitly disapprove. The remaining 12% are undecided or fall into other categories. Beyond the presidency, the ruling United Russia party is suffering a “constant downward trend” in public support. Kremlin analysts acknowledge that holding the State Duma will require “significantly more falsifications” than in any previous electoral cycle.
- Approve
- 55 %
- Disapprove
- 33 %
- Undecided/Other
- 12 %
Rising protest mood
The reports document a measurable increase in “protest disposition” across several Russian regions. Zelenski stressed that the forecasts were compiled before the military and economic realities of the summer months of June, July and August could be taken into account, meaning the actual picture could be worse.
We consider that these reports do not take into account even the potential events of June, July and August, which can only worsen the situation in Russia.
Information war calculus
By declassifying the documents, Ukraine aims to amplify internal Russian doubts at a politically sensitive moment. The leaked material, originally destined for President Putin’s desk, gives an unvarnished view of a regime bracing for a credibility crisis as it approaches the Duma vote on 20 September 2026.
