A survey by a Russian government-affiliated pollster shows 74 percent of respondents support the country's military operation in Ukraine while 17 percent do not.

The Russian Public Opinion Research Center, or VCIOM, released the survey results on Wednesday.

The center said it surveyed 1,600 people aged 18 and older across the country by telephone on March 17.

The results showed the number of people supporting the operation increased since an earlier poll on February 25, which showed 65 percent approved of it and 25 percent did not.

Regarding what they thought were the goals of the military operation, the majority of responses were in line with President Vladimir Putin's claims. Of the respondents, 46 percent said the goal was "to disarm Ukraine and prevent NATO from setting up a military base in the country." Nineteen percent said its aim was "to change the political course of Ukraine," and 17 percent said it was "to protect residents in eastern Ukraine."

VCIOM General Director Valery Fedorov told NHK that the sanctions by Western nations have promoted the unification of the Russian people around Putin. He said even those who had been politically neutral have come to sympathize with the president and his policies.

Fedorov went on to say that if the Western nations' sanctions were aimed at undermining the country's unity, they have proven counterproductive.

He stressed that the trend of unity against the West is more apparent in the generations that experienced turmoil following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Fedorov also said it will be the first time for younger generations in Russia to experience an economic crisis. He added that if the sanctions continue for a long time, such people, who have grown up as members of a global community, may start calling for restoration of ties with the West.