More Signs Russia’s Internet Crackdown Is Backfiring

BusinessAerospace & DefenseMore Signs Russia’s Internet Crackdown Is BackfiringByNatasha Lindstaedt,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Natasha Lindstaedt is a professor at the University of EssexFollow AuthorMay 24, 2026, 11:38am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.YAROSLAVL, RUSSIA - SEPTEMBER,1 (RUSSIA OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Presidential Adminitsration's First Deputy Chief of Staff Sergey Kiriyenko (L) observe an exhibition prior to the All-Russia's Open Lesson in Yaroslavl, 260 km. north of Moscow, Russia, September,1,2017. Putin is having a one-day trip to Yaroslavl to conduct the All Russia's open lesson broadcasted to all schools in the country. (Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)Getty Images Vladmir Putin has a problem. Despite the almost $3 billion spent on television propaganda, Putin is not as popular in Russia as he would like to be. Over four years after Russia’s invasion, the war in Ukraine continues to grind on. Aiming for total control over the Donbas, which experts are increasingly saying will take years, Russia launched a massive attack on Kiev using its powerful hypersonic Oreshnik missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that his country’s air defences intercepted 549 of the drones and 55 missiles in one of Russia’s biggest attacks since the war started.Maybe this is a distraction for Putin’s poll number problems. Autocracies often invest in their own polling as a propaganda tool to demonstrate legitimacy. But even Russia’s own state-run public opinion research center and public opinion foundation recorded that Putin’s approval rating fell from 74% in February to 65.6% in April, with trust declining 7 points to 71% in the same period. While these would be considered sky-high ratings in a democracy, these are the lowest levels recorded since the start of th...