Ever since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago, Vladimir Putin has had an unspoken deal with his people. The war might rage on, but the lives of everyday Russians – especially in the big cities – were to carry on as normal.
But now, as Russian affairs reporter Pjotr Sauer explains, that pact is being tested to the limit. The economy is stagnating, up to half a million men have been killed in Ukraine, and in a further bid for control, access to the internet has been squeezed. Muscovites are having to use paper maps to get around and walkie-talkies to communicate.
Amid all of it, Sauer tells Helen Pidd, there are growing reports of the president's increasing isolation and paranoia. Barely seen in public, a nickname for Putin has become more and more popular: “grandpa in a bunker.” Could Putin – more or less in charge of Russia for the last 26 years – be losing his grip?
Read more: Trump reportedly tells Putin he is prepared to help end war in Ukraine. Simon Tisdall: Russia is losing the war in Ukraine, and Putin is desperate. But that’s when he’s at his most dangerous.
