Russia is facing sanctions after Putin's decision to attack Ukraine. (AFP File)
The West has announced sanctions against Russia and the world is criticising Vladimir Putin for launching full-scale attack on Ukraine. But a poll conducted by an agency is claiming that trust in Russian President has actually gone up since the war began last week.
It, however, should be noted that the poll has been conducted by state-owned Public Opinion Foundation. It claims that support for Putin seemingly soared amid Ukraine invasion, from 60 per cent to 71 per cent in less than a fortnight.
According to Daily Mail, 18 per cent of the respondents said that they did not trust Putin, down from 20 per cent in February, while 11 per cent found difficult to answer the poll by the foundation, abbreviated as FOM in Russia.
The results of the poll are released amid the criticism Putin is facing, both at home and across the globe. Lyudmila Narusova, the widow of Putin's mentor, has slammed the propaganda on Russian state television. The 69-year-old said that the information about Ukraine war, being shown in Russia, is a “shameless lie”.
Daily Mail said that Narusova was married to Anatoly Sobchak, former mayor of St Petersburg and a professor, who made Putin his deputy when he left the KGB.
It also reported about another poll conducted by Levada Centre, an independent body in Russia, which said that a third of Russians don't support Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. In cities, the number stands at 50 per cent, the poll further said.
Though the FOM poll shows Putin's ratings have improved, dozens of cities across Russia witnessed anti-war protests. Reports said that more than 700 people have been detained, but the protests are continuing.
Around 2,000 people gathered near Pushkin Square in central Moscow, while up to 1,000 people gathered in the former imperial capital Saint Petersburg last week. A number of Russian activists called on social media for people to take to the streets after Putin launched the offensive on Ukraine.
Protests have been held in Europe and other cities across the world, as people demand an end to the war.