It’s been three weeks since the start of the war in Ukraine. The tragedy there worsens every day, but the shock of the war’s first few days has passed. In Russia, a new normal is starting to take shape: Russian society is girding itself for the difficult economic conditions to come; censorship is nearing absolute levels; there are increasing calls for a crackdown on dissidents and the so-called fifth column; state propaganda is working overtime; and it’s clear that greater repressions are coming, up to the potential return of the death penalty. All this notwithstanding, there are strong anti-war sentiments, including among the elite. In this week’s newsletter I'll try to sketch the contours of the new Russian reality.
