"Putin's Power Play: From Crocodile Tears to Blood-Spilling Playbook"

Russian President Vladimir Putin's public response to the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the boss of the Wagner Group, reveals a sense of unease and nervousness not previously seen. Putin went out of his way to praise Prigozhin, despite his criminal activities, and ordered all Wagner fighters to sign an oath of allegiance to the Russian state. This, combined with Putin's history of dismissive responses to high-profile assassinations, suggests a level of concern about the killings that continue to occur in Russia. The article draws parallels to Stalin's nervousness following the assassination of Sergei Kirov in 1934, which led to a tightening of political repression and the launch of the Great Purge.