Even Moscow Isn't Safe Now - Jason Jay Smart

[TexasTowelie]

Vladimir Putin is becoming more insecure as Russia's war in Ukraine drags on and pressure rises inside the Kremlin. Moscow, once the unquestioned center of his power, now looks like a city he no longer fully trusts. Security is tighter, public space is more controlled, and the Russian leadership looks increasingly defensive. What used to look like centralized power now looks far more like fear.

The strain is coming from several directions at the same time. Ukraine's resistance has shattered the image of steady Russian momentum. Inside Russia, rival factions from the military, intelligence services, and security apparatus are fighting for influence as the old balance weakens. Putin appears more focused on personal survival, hardened compounds, restricted movement, and tighter control over communications, information, and public order.

The war is no longer only about territory or battlefield gains. It is also about power inside Russia, elite survival, and the growing fear of betrayal at the top. Crackdowns, censorship, staged threats, factional conflict, and deeper instability all point in the same direction. Putin may still control the system, but the system around him looks far more brittle, far more suspicious, and far more dangerous than before.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro: Putin’s Growing Insecurity & Elite Betrayal
01:12 - Kremlin Paranoia: The Fear of Internal Sabotage
04:26 - Russia’s Power Struggle: Military vs. Intelligence Services
05:31 - Russian Oil Sanctions: The Black Market Economy
06:17 - Putin’s Isolation: Extreme Decisions & Declining Health
07:35 - Russian Propaganda: The Myth of External Enemies
10:09 - The Great Terror: Putin’s New Domestic Crackdown