Does this combination of military and economic crisis precipitate a palace coup against President Putin?
Modern Russia has had three popular revolutions: in 1905, 1917, and 1991. And there have been assassinations, such as Tsar Alexander II in 1881 and Lenin, whose life was shortened by an attempt in 1918. So if the question is could Putin fall from power? The answer is yes. It is possible.
But that wouldn’t affect the fate of Ukraine on Russian internal politics. Let’s just point out one thing: the repressive apparatus in Russia is working great. As you’ve probably seen, those who protested the war were arrested and harassed in the classic Russian style. So it’s not difficult to imagine other ways of keeping people quiet who would attempt to resist the regime.
