'..as Ukraine shapes the next phase of this war.''A secure government does not need to tighten security or disrupt daily life in its own capital city. A fearful government does that. That is exactly how Russia looks today as Ukraine shapes the next phase of this war.
The conflict is no longer something the Kremlin can portray as a distant sacrifice or a manageable burden. The pressure has now reached Moscow itself, and the Kremlin knows it. It is pressing on the political heart of the system, and the system is responding with the oldest instinct of insecure power: more control, more caution, and more visible fear.
..
In 2026, Putin appeared in public only 54 times. That is a 24% drop from the 71 appearances recorded during the same period a year earlier. More tellingly, he has begun to avoid even internal meetings, suggesting that the most serious threats may no longer be seen as external alone. The danger grows even sharper when political doubt collides with financial strain.
..
The regime is no longer just punishing failure. It is shrinking the circle, redistributing blame, and trying to manage a war that continues to burn money without producing a breakthrough. Ukraine’s strikes are working because they are exposing the weakness of a system that can still project violence but can no longer conceal its decay.The regime is no longer just punishing failure. It is shrinking the circle, redistributing blame, and trying to manage a war that continues to burn money without producing a breakthrough. Ukraine’s strikes are working because they are exposing the weakness of a system that can still project violence but can no longer conceal its decay.'
- Jason Jay Smart,
Putin Faces New Kremlin Betrayal, March 30, 2026
Context(Ukraine must win) - Ukraine to continue fighting with or without Trump, experts say