Yevgeny Prigozhin

Did the Wagner drama expose Putin’s weakness?

The fact that such a high-profile political challenger was thrown off the scene reflects the unbound nature of political options that Putin still has.

Wagner chief among 10 killed in plane crash: Russian officials

The head of the Wagner mercenary group, which in June attempted to topple Russia's military leadership, was on board a plane that crashed on Wednesday, with all passengers killed, Russian officials said

Mutiny in Russia: The drama of the absurd

The missing link between the Wagner mutiny and its abrupt end in Putin’s Russia on June 24 this year is yet to be unraveled. 

Eating the Last Cannibal

For political figures like Trump and Putin, courage is redefined as a willingness to break the state’s laws if the state’s own interests – or their own – demand it. The implication is that civilisation endures only if there are brave patriots who will do the dirty work. This is a decidedly right-wing form of “heroism.” It is easy to act nobly on behalf of one’s country – short of sacrificing one’s life for it – but only the strong of heart can bring themselves to commit crimes for it.

August 27, 2023
August 27, 2023

Did the Wagner drama expose Putin’s weakness?

The fact that such a high-profile political challenger was thrown off the scene reflects the unbound nature of political options that Putin still has.

August 24, 2023
August 24, 2023

Wagner chief among 10 killed in plane crash: Russian officials

The head of the Wagner mercenary group, which in June attempted to topple Russia's military leadership, was on board a plane that crashed on Wednesday, with all passengers killed, Russian officials said

July 3, 2023
July 3, 2023

Mutiny in Russia: The drama of the absurd

The missing link between the Wagner mutiny and its abrupt end in Putin’s Russia on June 24 this year is yet to be unraveled. 

January 2, 2023
January 2, 2023

Eating the Last Cannibal

For political figures like Trump and Putin, courage is redefined as a willingness to break the state’s laws if the state’s own interests – or their own – demand it. The implication is that civilisation endures only if there are brave patriots who will do the dirty work. This is a decidedly right-wing form of “heroism.” It is easy to act nobly on behalf of one’s country – short of sacrificing one’s life for it – but only the strong of heart can bring themselves to commit crimes for it.