Putin’s popularity up since start of Ukraine conflict

Moscow: Vladimir Putin’s ratings have seen a boost since the start of military actions in Ukraine, the independent Levada Centre said, with over 80 percent of Russians saying they support the Russian president’s actions.

The first poll conducted by Levada since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, said 83 percent of Russians approve of Putin’s actions, up from 71 percent in early February. Levada said 15 percent of respondents said they did not approve -- down from 27 percent -- and 2 percent said they had no opinion.