Putin's Power Waning: Succession Plans Revealed in Moscow

Daily Wrap Putin's Power Waning: Succession Plans Revealed in Moscow Katarzyna Bogdańska • 1 hour • 2 minutes read Vladimir Putin, once Russia's all-powerful dictator, is increasingly marginalized. According to Russian investigative journalists, those close to him are already planning Operation Successor. How has Putin's governing style changed? Vladimir Putin, once omnipresent in the Russian media, now rules in secret. He avoids meetings with ministers and officials, and getting an audience with him requires months of effort. His knowledge of the world is based primarily on carefully selected information provided to him by his aides. "Putin has been in power for over a quarter of a century. He is aware that he is no longer young. Illnesses are bothering him," emphasize the journalists from "Meduza," quoted by "Newsweek." Is Putin still in control of Russia? Russian society is increasingly aware of Putin's frailty. His former associates, such as Nikolai Patrushev and Dmitry Peskov, are beginning to consider a future without him. "Today, this hierarchical system is shaky at its foundations. Younger generations increasingly have a desire for advancement," note the journalists from "Meduza." The power structure built by Putin is beginning to crumble, and the younger generation of politicians is showing a growing appetite for power. What consequences does this have for Russia? According to "Newsweek," the conflict in Ukraine has exhausted Russian society, which has become significantly impoverished over the past three years. If Moscow does not withdraw its troops from the Dnipro River, Putin could end up like Leonid Brezhnev, whose authority was undermined by the intervention in Afghanistan. "Russian society has been exhausted by the conflict in Ukraine," the analysts emphasize. Putin's power, based on a hierarchical system, is becoming increasingly fragile.