Impact from Western sanctions not felt by more than half of Russians - poll

MOSCOW. Aug 10 (Interfax) - More than half of Russians (56%) have not noticed any impact on their livelihoods or lifestyle from the sweeping sanctions introduced by Western countries against Russia since the start of the special military operation, according to the findings of a poll carried out by the Public Opinion Foundation which were published on the pollster's website on Thursday.

The complete absence of such an impact was most frequently cited by respondents older than 60 (59%).

In contrast, one in seven Russians (14%) said they felt strongly affected by sanctions, while a quarter (25%) said they did not feel strongly affected. Among 18 to 30-year-olds, the proportion of those who did not feel strongly affected stood at 35%, the foundation said.

Five per cent of respondents could not say how much Western sanctions had either affected or not affected them.

The poll was conducted among 1,500 respondents aged over 18 in 104 Russian towns across 53 regions on July 14-16, 2023.