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Articles by Tatiana Stanovaya

opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Beneath the Surface, Prigozhin’s Mutiny Has Changed Everything in Russia

Russia has more or less resumed “normal” life. Still, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the regime will never be the same again.
5 Min read
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Why Is the Russian Regime Ignoring the Moscow Drone Attacks?

Right now, the Russian leadership is looking increasingly helpless and confused.
5 Min read
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Putin’s Tactic of Inaction Could Backfire at Home

The day may come when Putin finds himself dependent on a group of once politically irrelevant ultra-patriots.
4 Min read
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Russia’s New Conscription Law Brings the Digital Gulag Much, Much Closer

The war in Ukraine has taken the state’s need for digital control to a whole new level.
5 Min read
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

A Fight for Survival: What Victory Looks Like to Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state-of-the-nation address shed no light on how he intends to win this war.
5 Min read
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Is Wagner Founder Yevgeny Prigozhin a Threat or Asset to Putin?

Prigozhin is visibly transforming into a full-fledged politician with his own views, which are nothing short of revolutionary.
6 Min read
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Re-Election, Reshuffle and Warring Elites: Putin's Key Challenges in 2023

More than 10 months on from the invasion of Ukraine, the contrast between the scale of the external shocks faced by Russia and the relative inertia inside...
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

The Schism in Russia's Elite Is Only Growing as Defeats Pile Up in Ukraine

There was already talk of a possible split within the Russian elite two months ago, after Russia’s hurried retreat from Ukraine’s Kharkiv region...
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Kharkiv Retreat: What Will Military Losses Mean for Russia’s Domestic Politics?

The retreat of the Russian armed forces from Ukraine’s Kharkiv region sowed panic, disenchantment, and bewilderment among pro-war activists. Their...
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Life After Putin: What Happens if the President Dies?

The legal procedure for the succession is clear, but the political context is far more complicated.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

How War Would Change Russia

Rather than losing control, the authorities would actually be able to strengthen their grip in the events of a war with Ukraine.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

How the Duma Elections Could Decide United Russia’s Fate

The upcoming Duma elections could turn out to be United Russia’s farewell tour in its current lineup.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Purges and Professionals: the Transformed Russian Regime

The changes over the last year have proven so sweeping and profound that the Russian regime is undergoing a renaissance. You are now either pro-regime...
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Putin Has Nothing to Say to Russians

Consequently, the communication channels between the president and society are shrinking further and further.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

A Farewell to Trump? Russia’s Elite Braces for U.S. Elections

The ruling elite is divided over who would be Russia's best bet in the U.S. presidential race.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Navalny Has Been Poisoned. Where Are the People on the Streets?

Navalny’s poisoning might have a bigger effect on the elite than on general society.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Navalny’s Poisoning Is the Act of a Sickly Regime

Navalny may have been poisoned by people who believe that the regime is no longer capable of dealing with threats itself.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Russia’s In-System Opposition Gets Second Chance in Khabarovsk

In appointing a far-right deputy as the new governor of Khabarovsk, Putin is making the LDPR party responsible for extinguishing the fire of discontent...
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

The Taming of the Elite: Putin’s Referendum

The Russian president is banning his associates from looking around for a successor.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

The Putin Regime Cracks

Vladimir Putin has become increasingly disengaged from routine matters of governing and prefers to delegate most issues.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Russia Prepares for a New Tandemocracy

Putin’s proposed amendments to various roles amount to something resembling an insurance policy.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Yandex Is Safe for Now, but Kremlin Compromise Is Fragile

Russia’s tech giant remains vulnerable to future attempts to bring it under closer state control.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Post-Putin Uncertainty Means a Jittery Russian Elite and Brittle Regime

Amid the uncertainty over what will happen when Putin steps down in 2024, everyone is striving to claim a spot in the sun.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

How the Russian State Is Losing Its Instruments of Governance

No one in the Kremlin is currently working on long-term political strategy.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Moscow Protests Are Good News for the Opposition — And the Hardliners

The Kremlin's plan is to forcibly disperse the protests and prosecute the demonstrators: An approach that risks the state’s takeover by the siloviki...
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Don't Expect Change, a Jaded Putin Signals at Annual Phone-In

Putin perceives growing discontent with the authorities as a purely emotional reaction, based not on real problems but on society’s failure to understand...
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Why Jailed U.S. Investor Calvey Is the Least of Putin’s Concerns

While the authorities used the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to blame the U.S. for Russia’s problems, the forum’s unofficial topic were...
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Every Man for Himself: The Russian Regime Turns On Itself

The Russian regime decreasingly resembles a well-tuned orchestra with a confident conductor.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

The End of Kremlin's Dominance in the Regions

Regional elites are starting to look beyond the ruling United Russia party.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

How Russia Took Over Crimea, and Crimea Took Over Putin

Five years after the Crimea annexation, the country has undoubtedly changed — but no less important is the change Putin himself has undergone.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

The Kremlin Hierarchy Is Fast Decaying

Putin is no longer willing or able to prevent domestic infighting as uncertainty over Russia’s future looms.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

By Demanding a Gas Discount, Kadyrov Is Pushing His Luck

A ruling by a Chechen court to cancel a massive gas bill has put the Kremlin in a tight spot.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Is The Kremlin Ready for Falling Ratings? (Op-ed)

The ruling United Russia party and President Putin himself have recently suffered unexpected setbacks.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Vladimir Putin's Inner Circle Is Splintering (Op-ed)

Viktor Zolotov’s video message to Alexei Navalny shows that, increasingly, it's every man for himself.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

Russia's Next Prime Minister Is In for a Tough Ride (Op-ed)

When problems arise, the prime minister is vulnerable to attack from all sides.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

There Are Tougher Times Ahead for Putin’s Friends (Op-ed)

Putin’s associates will have to learn to adjust, or they’ll find themselves in deep trouble.
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

The Lonely Business of Ruling Russia: How Putin Makes His Staff Decisions

In recent months, Putin has fired several of his old associates, including his former chief of staff, Sergei Ivanov. In their place, he has hired new,...
opinion Tatiana Stanovaya

A Battle Is Raging for Russian Foreign Policy (Op-Ed)

President Vladimir Putin takes advice from three distinct groups of foreign policy ideologists. Each of them serves a role, but they have very different...