In Russia, if a public figure is being prosecuted or punished, two things used to be true: They oppose President Vladimir Putin’s rule or his “special military operation” in Ukraine and they are not a high-ranking official.
The arrest last month of Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov for allegedly accepting a bribe ominously defied these rules of thumb. It also highlighted deepening tensions between powerful groups in Russia amid a lack of coherent leadership from the despot in charge.
Make no mistake: Putin has no serious challengers. When he ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 22, 2022, even his own Security Council was surprised. Russia’s political and business elites were then forced to sacrifice many of their prewar privileges and start building a new nation that corresponded to Putin’s vision of history and international relations. They had no choice.
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