Almost one third of Russians support Prigozhin's actions

In Russia, the approval rating for the actions of Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has dropped by about half since the rebellion, but almost a third of Russians still support him.

Source: a survey conducted by Levada-centre, a Russian sociological institution, on 22-28 June

Details: According to the survey, on 22-23 June, 58% of respondents had a positive attitude towards the rebellion. After its end, 29% of respondents said they approved of the actions of the Wagner PMC leader.

Among the most frequently mentioned characteristics of Prigozhin, 27% of respondents mentioned his straightforwardness, openness and honesty; 23% noted his leadership qualities ("a good leader", "can unite the people", "created a strong army"); and 18% emphasised his energy. Less often, he was called a "patriot", "a good military man", and credited with the capture of Bakhmut.

Respondents who disapproved of Yevgeny Prigozhin's activities (this opinion began to prevail towards the end of the survey) said that he "staged a coup, went against the authorities/Putin/Russia/people" (34%), and also noted that he had "exorbitant ambitions", "he is running for president" and was "aggressive, arrogant, talks a lot" (8% each), and 7% called him a "bandit".

Prior to the coup attempt, 19% of respondents were ready to support Prigozhin if he ran in the 2024 presidential election. After 24 June, the share of such respondents halved to 10%.

After the coup, the level of approval of Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's actions also dropped, as Prigozhin accused him of striking mercenary camps, attempting to destroy his PMC, and more. A week earlier, 60% of respondents approved of the minister's activities, and after the coup, 48% did so.

About 75% of respondents expressed support for Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, whose rating remained almost unchanged. The rating of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov remained almost at the same level (around 70%).

The use of mercenaries on the side of Russia and the participation of convicts in the war are considered acceptable by 57% of respondents, respectively, while approximately 30% share the opposite view. The participation of such groups on the side of the Russian Federation is rather unacceptable or absolutely unacceptable, according to 29% of respondents.

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