Nina Khrushcheva: Divided Russian Power

No event in Vladimir Putin’s 23 years in power has more clearly demonstrated the fragility of his regime than the rise of the Wagner Group. It seems that everything is over, and the FSB has already stopped its investigation into the uprising. But Putin’s problems don’t end there.

Wagner’s impunity is all the more irritating at a time when ordinary Russians live in a near-totalitarian police state. Any criticism of the war in Ukraine – even just expressing doubts about its legitimacy or suggesting that peace efforts are needed – can lead to imprisonment or the designation of a “foreign agent”.

The recent behavior of the Russian elite confirms this view. After Popov’s resignation, Andrei Gurulev, a member of the Russian parliament, commented on the general’s opinion, with which other military officials seem to agree. In Putin’s Russia, especially since February 2022, such expressions of opposition cannot be taken lightly.

The position of the author may not coincide with the position of the editors of The Moscow Times.

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