Inflation Rises, Approval Ratings Fall: Kremlin Banking on Propaganda Ahead of Parliamentary Elections, Sources Say

In a strategic pivot nearly a year before Russia’s 2026 parliamentary elections, the Kremlin has launched an aggressive media campaign to boost United Russia’s declining popularity amid economic pressures facing Russian citizens.

According to sources within major Russian online newsrooms, the presidential administration is directing pro-government and state-run media outlets to amplify coverage of the ruling party’s social initiatives. The coordinated effort comes as rising prices for food and utilities have eroded public support for United Russia across the country.

Media employees report being inundated with press releases from both the party and the Putin administration, often receiving identical content from both sources. Editors are under pressure to feature these stories prominently, with specific instructions on headline formatting that ensures United Russia receives explicit credit for positive developments.

“The party has been carpet-bombing us with press releases,” said one employee at a major online news outlet who spoke on condition of anonymity. The source added that the Kremlin’s domestic policy team has made it clear these materials should not be ignored.

Most of the mandated coverage centers on United Russia’s social welfare proposals. One example includes legislation introduced by party lawmaker Artyom Metelev that would prioritize married students and those with children for university dormitory housing. The presidential administration reportedly provided media outlets with suggested headlines such as “Student families to receive dorm housing thanks to United Russia” and “United Russia helps student families secure dorm housing.”

Pro-government outlets including Lenta.ru, Gazeta.ru, and 5TV dutifully adopted these suggested formulations. While state television channel Rossiya 1’s news program Vesti covered the initiative, it notably omitted the party’s name from its headline.

Other United Russia initiatives receiving coordinated coverage include legislation offering benefits to participants in the Ukraine war, including free travel for relatives of wounded servicemembers to treatment facilities and prioritized housing for police officers and National Guard members raising children with disabilities. Pro-Kremlin outlets like Vzglyad.ru, TASS, and Gazeta.ru all published stories on these proposals.

The party’s equipment donations to frontline forces and the creation of an expert council to develop its election platform have also received similar treatment in loyal media outlets, particularly at the regional level.

A political consultant working with the presidential administration’s domestic policy team described the approach as following a well-established playbook. “For the past 20 years, a few months before every election, the information space fills with upbeat stories about the party’s work,” the consultant told Meduza. “The goal is to knock down the party’s negative rating.”

This media push comes at a critical time for United Russia. A source in the presidential envoy’s office in the Northwestern Federal District revealed that the party’s polling numbers have dropped by approximately 10 percent across the district in recent months, with sharper declines of 13-15 percent in St. Petersburg.

The campaign strategy also involves regional governors, who are expected to begin highlighting United Russia’s role in infrastructure projects ranging from road repairs to renovations of state institutions. “People need to see that United Russia isn’t made up of complete assholes — that they’re actually doing something good,” the consultant said candidly.

Meanwhile, the party continues to deliberate on its core messaging for the upcoming election. Different factions are advocating various approaches, from “tangible results” messaging favored by Federation Council First Deputy Speaker Vladimir Yakushev to “conservative-patriotic” themes supported by Kremlin social trends monitor Alexander Kharichev. Sergey Kiriyenko, who oversees domestic policy for the administration, reportedly prefers messaging focused on “post-war development.”

With the comprehensive media strategy now underway, the Kremlin appears determined to reverse United Russia’s sliding approval ratings before voters head to the polls in September 2026. As one source concluded: “With a steady stream of stories like that, you get the impression that in Russia, even the sun rises thanks to the party.”