Russian Infighting Reveals Signs Of ‘Deep Dysfunction’

After spending more than two decades building a rigidly controlled political system, Russian President Vladimir Putin is silently watching increasingly raucous infighting that has emerged among top members of his entourage amid the war in Ukraine. While it doesn’t pose any immediate threat to Putin’s power, some analysts say his failure to squelch the squabbles between Yevgeny Prigozhin, the maverick head of the Wagner private military contractor, and the military brass heralds potential shifts in Russia’s political scene and sets the stage for more internal battles. It has pushed Prigozhin to the forefront of Russia’s political scene and signaled his growing ambitions.