Carnegie Endowment 46d ago

Russia’s surprising recent Internet shutdown did more than disrupt daily life: it also crippled the regime’s own communications and propaganda. It’s one of a series of strange events—from a diminished Victory Day parade to crackdowns on businesspeople and celebrities—that suggest growing disorder and confusion within the Russian state. Alexandra Prokopenko, a former Moscow insider who quit over the Ukraine War, says that Vladimir Putin has lost focus on running the country. She joins Jon Bateman on The World Unpacked to explain the erosion of Russia’s social contract and share stories from her new book From Sovereigns to Servants: How the War Against Ukraine Reshaped Russia’s Elite. Like and subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/38sljlH Find the episode transcript and streaming audio, and get the show direct to your inbox, here: https://carnegieendowment.org/podcasts/the-world-unpacked/putin-is-losing-his-grip-on-russia Host: Follow Jon on X: https://x.com/JonKBateman Guest: Alexandra Prokopenko: https://x.com/amenka Chapters: 00:00 - Opening Question 01:31 - Internet Shutdowns 04:23 - Telegram Crackdown 05:52 - Parade Security Chaos 08:06 - Public Frustration 10:39 - Putin Losing Grip 12:55 - Siloviki Power Rise 15:57 - Elite Confusion 17:47 - Crumbling State Capacity 19:30 - Business Pays Defense 20:38 - Economic Strains 22:12 - Budget Crisis 25:01 - War Casualties 26:43 - Veteran Concerns 27:40 - Fear Inside Russia 30:32 - Rulebook Disappears 32:04 - Asset Seizures 33:52 - Almost Naked Party 36:34 - Demand For Rules 37:41 - Future Power Struggles 39:40 - Prigozhin Mutiny Legacy 42:00 - Postwar Uncertainty 43:55 - Russia’s Tech Decline 47:21 - Future Scenarios 48:01 - Cracks In Putinism 48:52 - Closing Thoughts The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace generates strategic ideas and independent analysis, supports diplomacy, and trains the next generation of international scholar-practitioners to help countries and institutions take on the most difficult global problems and advance peace. Visit our website: https://carnegieendowment.org/ Follow us on X: https://x.com/CarnegieEndow Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnegieendow/