Not too long ago - although it seems like an eternity has passed since - the coronavirus pandemic was yet to hit. In Russia, they were just about to vote on a constitutional amendment that would have allowed Putin to remain in power until 2036, or even longer.
However, with Russia now the European country currently registering the highest number of new infections per day, Putin is seeing his popularity decline. Although his approval ratings have remained stable, only 46% of those polled by the independent Levada Center agency stated that they would like to see him in power after his current term expires in 2024, as opposed to 54% last year, The Telegraph reports.
Russia reported 10,633 new infections in the last day; the total number of confirmed infections in the country now stands at more than 134,000. 1,280 Russians have died so far of Covid-19.