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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