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Vladimir Putin

Moscow. – Russian President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating climbed to 88 percent, 1 percentage point from his all-time high, according an independent survey published yester- day.

Sixty-one percent said the country is moving in the right direction, up from 55 percent in the previous two months, according to the respected pollster Levada Centre.

The national survey included the opinions of 1 600 Russian adults with a statistical margin of error that did not exceed 3,4 percent, the pollster said.

Late last month Russia began a bombing campaign in Syria to support that country’s embattled ruling regime, one of Russia’s closest allies in the Middle East.

The campaign, which Moscow says is directed against terrorist organisations such as Islamic State (ISIS), followed so-far unsuccessful attempts by Russia’s biggest rival, the United States, to turf out Islamic State. – News24.