MOSCOW, September 6. /TASS/. Russian public support for the special military operation in Ukraine has remained persistently high over the past six months and is within a range of 70-73%, according to the results of a poll conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center published on the organization’s website on Tuesday.

The survey was conducted by the Public Opinion Research Center together with Sputnik countrywide from March through August 2022. The sample volume amounted to 1,600 Russians over the age of 18, the margin of error does not exceed 2.5% with a probability of 95%.

"During the six months of monitoring, public support for the decision to conduct the special military operation in Ukraine has remained stably high and is within a range of 70-73%. During the August survey, on average, 70% of Russians reported that they supported this decision, 18% did not, while 12% were undecided," the statement said.

According to the poll, public opinion on the goals of the special operation has also remained the same: according to 39% of the Russians surveyed in August, the main goal of the special operation is to defend Russia, disarm Ukraine and prevent the deployment of NATO’s military bases. Among other goals of the special operation, the respondents listed defending the residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (20%), changing Ukraine’s political course and purging it of Nazis (17%) and taking over Ukraine and making it part of Russia (7%).

The level of public protest potential has not surpassed 12% since April 2022, while in the beginning of the year it was within 18-21%. The majority (82%) of Russians interviewed in August said that mass protest rallies against the declining quality of life or unfair actions by authorities were not likely in their region. In the event of such rallies, 82% of the respondents said that they wouldn’t participate.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had decided to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, noting that the operation was aimed at the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry reassured that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, but are limited to surgically striking and incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure. There are no threats whatsoever to the civilian population.