Whilst Russian state propaganda continues to report on \u00absuccesses\u00bb, a serious rift is brewing behind the scenes of the Kremlin regime. According to a British publication The Telegraph<\/i>, \u2026 Dissatisfaction is growing rapidly among Russian senior officials, MPs and even former staunch Kremlin loyalists. Against the backdrop of a protracted war, economic pressure and regular strikes on Russian territory, Vladimir Putin is being openly warned that the country is on the brink of internal collapse.<\/p>\n\u00abThe time for illusions is over\u00bb: who is opposing Putin and why<\/h2>\n
The most telling moment came during a public speech by a State Duma deputy from the Communist Party (CPRF) Vyacheslavova Markhaeva<\/strong>. He explicitly demanded that Putin<\/strong> to provide a clear public plan for ending the so-called \u00abspecial military operation\u00bb, criticising the Kremlin\u2019s \u00abineffective leadership\u00bb.<\/p>\n The politician openly raised issues that were previously considered taboo in Russia:<\/strong><\/p>\n Major corruption scandals at the Ministry of Defence.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The dominance of the oligarchy.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The catastrophic loss of \u00abthe most active and productive section of the population\u00bb on the front line.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Constant attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russian cities.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n From a speech by Vyacheslav Markhaev:<\/b><\/p>\n \u00abThe country is on the brink of social unrest, and the current government will bear full responsibility for this. If the situation persists, social unrest and chaos will be inevitable.\u00bb.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Markhaev is not the only one. Previously, another State Duma deputy Renat Suleimanov<\/strong> stated that ending the war is \u00ababsolutely essential\u00bb, as Russian economy<\/a> simply cannot withstand a prolonged standoff. What is more, even radical pro-Kremlin bloggers and former members of the Russian Federation\u2019s Public Chamber, such as Ilya Remeslo<\/a>, ... began publicly referring to Putin as a \u00abwar criminal\u00bb and calling for him to be put on trial.<\/p>\n The economic foundations underpinning the regime have begun to crumble significantly. The military sector is consuming record-breaking budgets, leaving the Russian Ministry of Finance in a state of constant alarm.<\/p>\n Strikes by Ukrainian drones<\/a> at Russian oil refineries and oil terminals have yielded tangible results \u2014 crude oil processing volumes in Russia have fallen to a 16-year low<\/b>, which has dealt a severe blow to budget revenues. Economic growth has slowed to critical levels, whilst inflation remains out of control.<\/p>\n Against this backdrop, the high-profile scandal involving Elvira Nabiullina, Governor of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, who suddenly vanished from the public eye, proved particularly telling. Although the Kremlin claims she is on \u00absick leave\u00bb, insiders assert: Nabiullina has issued Putin with a tough ultimatum \u2014 she will serve out her term only on condition that the Kremlin does not impose martial law or close the borders in order to make a complete shift towards totalitarianism.<\/p>\n A combination of domestic problems (widespread internet disruptions and outages, shortages of goods) and a lack of significant victories on the battlefield has caused Putin\u2019s approval ratings to plummet. According to sources Ukrmedia<\/strong>, the level of genuine trust Russians have in the dictator<\/a> fell to a historic low \u2014 29.5%<\/b>. This forced the state-run VTsIOM (All-Russian Centre for the Study of Public Opinion) to urgently suspend the publication of public opinion polls so as not to reveal the leader\u2019s catastrophic drop in popularity.<\/p>\n Russia is also rapidly losing its main advantage \u2014 its seemingly endless supply of manpower. Despite the huge signing bonuses (which in some regions run into millions of roubles) and promises to write off all debts, the influx of volunteers has fallen dramatically.<\/p>\n\n
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The economy on the brink and Nabiullina\u2019s \u00abdisappearance\u00bb<\/h2>\n
A record drop in confidence and a shortage of \u00abcannon fodder\u00bb<\/h2>\n
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\n The main factors behind the internal crisis in the Russian Federation\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n\n \n Economic deadlock:<\/b> Crude oil processing has fallen to 2010 levels due to attacks on refineries.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Military stalemate:<\/b> The Russian army has lost the initiative; its advance has slowed to its slowest pace since the start of the war.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n The mobilisation crisis:<\/b> Cash bonuses no longer attract enough new recruits.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Attacks on the rear:<\/b> Drone sightings in Moscow and St Petersburg have shattered the myth of \u00absafety\u00bb.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n What's next?<\/h2>\n