REUTERS

Russian President Vladimir Putin's public approval rating has hit a new historic low, plunging to just 32 percent, that's according to a survey by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center.

The stats were recorded following the president's address to the Federal Council Feb 20, RFE/RL reports.

The Kremlin initially planned to halt the rating drop by the president's positively-charged address to the deputies, the Vedomosti newspaper wrote earlier.

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In February, against the background of Putin's falling rating, the newspaper reported, citing its sources, that the address to the Federal Council had been set to be held in March to mark the fifth anniversary of Crimea annexation, however a decision was made not to postpone the event for too long.

According to one of the sources, this could be due to "the intention to stop the fall of the rating."

Dozhd TV channel ahead of the address reported that amid low approval ratings of Russian authorities, the Kremlin sought to find positive topics to be included in the president's speech.

"People have grown weary of missiles," Dozhd cited one of its sources as saying.

Pollsters attribute the souring mood to people fed up with six consecutive years of falling real incomes and unpopular government moves to raise the retirement age and hike value added tax, Reuters reported earlier.