Russia's Elite Loses Wealth, Freedom and Influence 4 Years After Ukraine Invasion
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 18
Russia's Elite Loses Wealth, Freedom and Influence 4 Years After Ukraine Invasion
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 18
Summary
Four years after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the country's elite has largely lost its remaining ability to shape politics, protect assets or leave freely as Vladimir Putin tightens control.
Sunday's parliamentary vote underscores that shift: United Russia is set for a commanding majority after the Supreme Court removed Yabloko, the only antiwar party, from the ballot five weeks before the election.
Since the war began, sanctions and a squeezed economy have coincided with sharper centralization—classified budgets, wider Finance Ministry spending powers, and governors tasked with recruiting soldiers and compensating families of the dead.
Private wealth has also become less secure, with prosecutors reopening 1990s privatizations and asset seizures making up 42% of the value of all Russian mergers and acquisitions in the first half of this year.
The post-2022 crackdown marks a break from Putin's earlier bargain, under which elites accepted limited political power in exchange for prosperity and predictability.
How long can Russia's elite endure massive wealth seizures before their forced loyalty fractures under the Kremlin's wartime pressure?
With veterans strategically scattered across government roles, is Putin building a loyal new elite or planting seeds of institutional conflict?
Could seemingly harmless environmental protests become the unexpected catalyst for a broader anti-war movement within Russia's tightly controlled society?