The death of the Russian Minister of Transport is no accident. Sudden and voluntary resignations of officials, public appointments for long periods, and nationalisation (squeezing) of businesses are a new Russian trend.
What does it demonstrate and why is it important for us to understand what is happening in Russia?
1. Shifting attention. Social tension is growing. Economic sanctions, military failures, cuts in local budgets, and huge human losses, which are impossible to ignore, all have an impact. All these factors change public sentiment. Who is to blame? Well, not Putin, of course. These are the scoundrels because of whom Russia suffers: top officials, home-grown rats, and some local oligarchs. To complete the picture, propagandists complete the image of the “scoundrels” with pictures of their luxurious homes and private jets. Bloggers, fed by the Kremlin, talk about their children abroad and the fortunes taken out of Russia.
The Tsar is innocent – the boyars are bad!
2. Demonstration of power. I am absolutely sure that Putin personally examines the cases of top officials and decides who to punish and who to pardon (transfer to another job). This is a signal to the elites about the “omnipotence” of the leader. At the same time, political opponents of the government are being imprisoned in droves across Russia for the slightest, even symbolic, resistance. Cultivating a cult of fear in Russia is another trend being introduced by Putin.
3. Formation of a caste of the untouchable and the faithful. Putin knows Russian history well. Russian tyrants and influential people were strangled with scarves, beheaded, thrown under the ice of the Neva, blown up with bombs and simply shot on sight, like Lavrenty Beria. It was done by those close to him. Putin understands that there will be no pension. Now from the throne only to the grave. And he wants to delay this day as much as possible. To do this, a core of trusted people is crystallizing, who are allowed everything in Russia and on whom he can reliably rely.
At first glance, Putin is tightening the screws, but in reality, he is compressing the internal spring. When the fuses fail, they will release a gigantic energy that will tear this country apart into small pieces. We must stand firm!
