— This year, the mood of the elites has definitely changed. There is deep disappointment with Putin, says an influential businessman. According to him, “there is a growing sense of impending catastrophe.” — More and more people realize that completely senseless, self-destructive decisions are still being made. Those who previously defended Putin do not do so now. The sense of the future has disappeared, he adds.
The Russian president does not intend to end the warbecause he is convinced that he will be able to completely control Donbas by the end of the year, say sources familiar with his position. — Putin is obsessed with Donbas and will not stop sooner, says one of the interlocutors to The Guardian.
At the same time, the president's entourage warns that if Russia manages to break Ukraine's resistance, Putin will go further and try to take over the remaining parts of the Zaporizhia and Kherson oblasts, annexed in 2022. — He is not a long-term strategist. His appetite increases as he eats, explains one of the sources.
The article continues below the video
At the same time, a source familiar with the discussions in the Kremlin claims that Putin receives distorted information about what is happening on the frontwhere, according to Pentagon data, the Russian army began to suffer direct territorial losses.
— Of course, officials and military officials paint a rosy picture of the situation for the president. They lie to him. This is how the system Putin built works, he explains. This is also confirmed by European intelligence, but it is not known to what extent the head of state is actually aware of the problems on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has been arguing for months that the situation is under control, but the numbers say something completely different. Hundreds of thousands of losses and subsequent Ukrainian attacks show that the war is returning more and more painfully to Russia itself.
Russian roulette. “Who will oppose Putin?”
The elite's nervousness also increases in the face rising inflation, tax increases and pressure on business. Particular concern was caused by the arrest of the founder of the agricultural holding “Rusagro”, billionaire Vadim Moszkowicz. Nevertheless, the oligarchs are afraid to express opposition to what is happening, although, according to the businessman, many of them “deep down are terrified.”
— The business elite are playing Russian roulette. They hope that their neighbor will suffer and they will be spared, says Oleg Tinkov, a banker who emigrated from Russia, who condemns the war. -Who will oppose him? Everyone is just waiting for him to die, he adds.
A senior European intelligence official notes that representatives of the Russian power elite “are currently at the stage of becoming aware” of problems both on the battlefield and in the economy, but they have no plans to solve them.
Large-scale actions cause particular irritation among elites internet blockades and the growing influence of the FSB, which lobbies for such measures. According to the Guardian's interlocutors, representatives of the Kremlin's political wing, including Dmitry Peskov and Sergei Kirienko, tried to convince the president to ease the restrictions, but to no avail.
— As long as the war continues, Putin will give priority to the security services, says an interlocutor close to the Kremlin. — Everyone at the table is talking about the Internet. In this respect, we are now somewhere at the level of North Korea, another concludes.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
