MOSCOW. Feb 25 (Interfax) - February 23 is a significant day for 77% of Russians, especially persons who have been to a war or have military friends or relatives (87%), the Public Opinion Foundation said. It polled 1,500 respondents in 100 towns and cities in 43 regions in mid-February, shortly before Defender of the Fatherland Day.
The indicator has grown from 63% in 2003.
Twenty percent say there is nothing special about this day: "this is simply a day off, I do not celebrate." The number of such respondents dropped from 32% in 2003.
Some 32% of the respondents estimated the current condition of the Russian Armed Forces as bad or very bad. The indicator has been steadily declining since February 2006 (71%). The number of positive opinions has grown from 17% to 42%.
The poll showed that Russians had noticed changes in the Armed Forces. The share of respondents who think nothing has changed in the Armed Forces is down from 39% in 2010 to 14% this year. An improvement is claimed by 30% (as against 25%), and 35% allege a deterioration (16%).
Some 63% of the respondents believe that young men should serve in the Armed Forces but 77% affirm that the younger generation is unwilling to do that.
Levada Center asked whether the Armed Forces were capable of protecting Russia from a real military threat. Some 57% gave the affirmative answer, and 28% disagreed.
Long term surveys displayed a major change: the correlation was 73% to 17% in 2008.
A half of the respondents (51%) said there was no military threat to the country at present, and 38% disagreed.