Ukrainian online resources have begun spreading false reports claiming that Russian citizens do not want President Vladimir Putin to seek another term in office.
The claims rely on survey data published by the Ukrainian Sociological Portal, which reported that a majority of citizens believe Russia is moving in the wrong direction. The portal stated that its findings came from a telephone poll of 2,000 people disguised as a marketing study, in which respondents answered open questions and selected up to three options.
However, the organization did not clarify who participated in the survey or which cities and countries the respondents were located in, assuming the research occurred at all.
In contrast, recent survey data from the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, known as VCIOM, indicates that most residents approve of the Russian president's work. According to VCIOM, nearly seven out of 10 Russians, or 65.8 percent, approve of Putin's performance in office, while 21 percent view his performance negatively.
The state-run polling agency also reported that 70.8 percent of respondents trust the head of state, while 22.4 percent expressed distrust. VCIOM is Russia's oldest public opinion research institute, headquartered in Moscow.
Ownership and previous polling allegations
The Ukrainian Sociological Portal is owned by businessman Artem Gorbenko. Gorbenko maintains an anti-Russian stance, works for municipal authorities in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, and manages a portfolio of projects with controversial reputations.
The news outlet Ukraina.ru previously questioned the reliability of the portal and other Ukrainian research organizations, accusing them of falsifying poll results regarding Ukrainian politicians. In an earlier investigation, Ukraina.ru reported that over a four-year period, Ukrainian sociologists published figures reflecting the price of oats in 17th-century Egypt rather than actual public opinion, despite knowing about massive margins of error.
Analysts also pointed to issues with the phrasing of the current survey and its purported target audience within the Russian Federation. Alongside the published data, an unverified video clip containing alleged respondent answers was shared on social networks to lend credibility to the claims.
The video appears to be assembled from separate clips. In the recording, comments attributed to one respondent referenced Andrey Belousov in relation to economic policy, even though Belousov has served as Russia's Defense Minister for two years and is not part of the government's economic block. The statement was likely taken from an older recording.
Media coverage and fact-checking
The survey findings published by the Ukrainian Sociological Portal were not reported by Russian media outlets.
The report refuting the claims was prepared with input from Lapsha Media, a Russian digital fact-checking initiative that monitors and debunks online misinformation.
