Sotsіs poll: Zelensky would lose to all main rivals in the second round

According to the results of a Sotsis poll conducted from July 28 to August 2, 2026, Volodymyr Zelensky would finish first in the first round of a presidential election, but would lose to all main rivals in the second round.

In a hypothetical first round, Zelensky posted roughly equal results with Valery Zaluzhny — 22.3% against 21.4% respectively. Nevertheless, in the second round the incumbent president would lose to all his main opponents.

The ratings also include Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov with 16% support, Third Army Corps commander Andriy Biletsky — 14.5%, former parliament speaker Dmytro Razumkov — 10.4%, boxer Oleksandr Usyk — 9.7%, Minister of Veterans’ Affairs Vitaliy Kim — 8.6%, former president Petro Poroshenko — 6%, volunteer Serhiy Prytula — 5.7%, member of parliament Oleksiy Honcharenko — 5.7%, former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky — 3.7%, Batkivshchyna party leader Yulia Tymoshenko — 3.4%, and the leader of the banned pro-Russian party OPZH, Yuriy Boyko — 2.2%.

The poll surveyed 2,000 respondents. The study was not conducted in the temporarily occupied Crimea, in the territory of Luhansk region, in other temporarily occupied territories, or in active combat zones.

Western media had previously reported that Mykhailo Fedorov may be preparing to run in the presidential election in Ukraine. The outlet covered Zaluzhny and the reasons why Zelensky denies plans to hold a presidential election in the autumn in a separate article.