The public authority of the Kremlin is undergoing an unprecedented erosion, as evidenced by recent data from VTsIOM. As of April 2026, Vladimir Putin’s approval rating has plummeted to 65.5%, a historic low since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This decline, mirrored in the data from independent pollsters like the Levada Center, reflects the deep fatigue of a society burdened by sanctions, economic instability, and the human cost of a war that has yielded no strategic victories.
The symbols of Putin’s power are crumbling. This was most visible during the 9th of May parade in Moscow, which analysts dubbed the “parade of shame.” Forced to scale down the event due to security concerns and a lack of military assets, the Kremlin showcased a regime in retreat. The humiliation was compounded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s official decree, which essentially granted permission for the parade to proceed within a specific area, effectively mocking Putin’s position by highlighting his dependence on international concessions, specifically in negotiations with Donald Trump.
Political analyst and psychologist Larysa Voloshyna notes that Putin has transitioned into a isolated “Fuhrer” figure. He no longer relies on the backing of the pragmatic elite but rather on the blind adoration of a radicalized populace. The internal power struggle between the FSO and FSB, along with the purging of figures like Shoigu, signals that Putin has moved beyond his inner circle, standing alone as a dictator detached from the reality of his crumbling state. The Russian elite, once influential, now live under the constant threat of total dispossession, as the regime drifts toward a North Korean-style isolationist model.
As the economic situation in Russia worsens, the regime’s reliance on warmongering rhetoric is reaching a breaking point. While the Kremlin continues to stoke fears and promises of aggression, the reality of the situation is clear: the war has become a stalemate that the Russian economy cannot sustain. For the international community and Ukraine, the path forward involves maintaining steady pressure, forcing the regime to confront the inevitable consequences of its failures. Experts conclude that without long-term denazification and a fundamental shift in the collective mindset of the Russian people, the collapse of Putin’s system will leave behind a broken, isolated state that will take generations to stabilize.