The LevadaCenter, an independently run and well-respected outfit, recently released a new poll on Russian public opinion towards South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
According to a poll by Moscow-based LevadaCenter, nearly a third of Russian voters say that the United Russia party is most representative of their political interests.
The approval ratings of Russian president Vladimir Putin have fallen to a new low of just 48 percent since elected in March, independent pollsters at the LevadaCenter said Friday.
Although the Levadacenter is broadly respected as an institution, there is always the possibility that its methodology is flawed or that the results of its polls are somewhat suspect.