"Russia Reaches Tipping Point: What's Next?"

The invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has fundamentally shaken the trust of Russian citizens in Putin's regime. Putin's entourage, including the leaders of the army and security forces, became wealthy beyond belief, but the invasion has disrupted and possibly weakened the power structure inside Russia, creating an opportunity for an audacious conqueror. The enormous military casualties, the army's calamitous retreats, and the continuing corruption in the armed forces have been ignored by the state-controlled media. However, Russian social networks reflect the growing anger among "Russian patriots," who see those defeats as a result of the deeply corrupt and dysfunctional regime that Putin has constructed.