Vladimir Putin has sacked four deputy defence ministers and appointed one of his relatives to the role as he carries out a sweeping purge of officials in charge during the botched invasion of Ukraine.
Anna Tsivileva, the daughter of a late cousin of the Russian president, is married to the country’s energy minister and is sanctioned by the British government after using her ties to Putin to become the president of a coal mining business.
Ms Tsivileva, whose maiden name was Putina, also runs the “Defenders of the Fatherland” fund for war veterans
Also promoted in the reshuffle on Monday was Pavel Fradkov, the son of one of Putin’s former prime ministers. Mr Fradkov had previously worked in the presidential administration.
Their promotion comes as Putin looks to put more trust in the children of close associates, rather than outsiders, after a series of disasters in the early months of the war, analysts say.
Sure, it might be the politics of interest groups but it’s still politics. And as the regime narrows down to hte family – for thost trust reasaons – then the dictaotr loses power over that politics. For fewer of the interest groups are getting placated.
Did the cousin become late by accidentally shooting himself twice in the head while accidentally falling out of the window of an airplane that had been shot down after being served a special cup of tea?
BiG, the Clintons both deny any involvement whatsoever.
Accidentally brutally cut own head off while shaving.
BiG- lol. As Stalin would say,: late on parade – late in the papers.
the daughter of a late cousin of the Russian president,
It shows you how backwards Russia is, that they’re having to scrape up first cousins once removed, while British politics is rich in Blairite nepo babies.
Their promotion comes as Putin looks to put more trust in the children of close associates, rather than outsiders, after a series of disasters in the early months of the war, analysts say.
This one appointment proves Putin and all of his genetically modified clones are about to die of turbocancer any day now, and the Ghost of Kiev will soon be doing wheelies in the sky while celebratory Gay Pride rallies march through a defeated Moscow.
Checkmate, Putler.
I expect “once removed” has different connotations in Russian politics.
BiW – and rightly so.
Think how much better our politics would be if we periodically humanely culled the political class.
‘humane’ culling Steve?
Are you going soft? Now’s not the time to go wibbly-wobbly!
NB It isn’t just Russia that has inventive disposal methods. It was in the USA that a man committed suicide by hanging himself, then shooting himself twice in the chest from atleast 10 feet away (no powder marks) then disposed of the gun (not found at the scene). I cannot remember if it was a Boeing whistle blower or an associate of the Clintons…
And then there’s Vince Foster…
Now tell me how Russia differs from the UK. Apart of course from you retiring your apparatchiks on gold plated pensions rather than offing them.
Unless they are called David Kelly. No pension for him.
TtC – Are you going soft?
I’ve always been a big softie. My politics are basically libertarian Thatcherism, it’s the establishment political consensus that went insane and decided to kill us all with immigration and Net Zero.
Also, Epstein didn’t kill himself.