Reuters cites Russian daily Vedomosti in reporting Putin’s approval ratings have dropped, though they remain very high. This month, Putin’s approval rating fell to 83 percent in a Levada Center poll and 72 percent in a Public Open Foundation poll. Putin’s ratings dropped from 89 percent and 76 percent respectively. Vedomosti quotes experts who attribute the decline to Russians’ dissatisfaction with rising prices. In particular, utility rates and transport charges have increased over the summer.