The ongoing four-year war between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the rapid expansion of the powers of security agencies, has created serious fragmentation within the Kremlin elite.
Modern.az reports that, according to sources close to the Kremlin who spoke to “Vazhnye Istorii,” Russia's governance system is experiencing a deep crisis, and an open struggle for resources, confrontations, and chaos within the government are increasingly intensifying.
Sources indicate that previously existing decision-making mechanisms have practically collapsed, and everyone is “working for their own interest”:
“The system has now reached a stage where no rules remain, neither good nor bad. Everyone understands that there is no protection, nor any guarantee of security. No one is insured against anything,” – notes an official working in Kremlin structures.
According to sources, the greatest force creating chaos in the Russian government is the "siloviki". They act without coordination with the government and the political bloc of the Presidential Administration, often making completely independent decisions.
The “foreign agent” status, used for years to silence the opposition, has now completely escaped the control of the Presidential Administration. This status is now granted not only to Kremlin critics but also to large business owners and even some pro-Kremlin bloggers.
Sergey Kiriyenko, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, can no longer be the winning side in confrontations with security agencies. Although he curates domestic policy within the Kremlin, decisions regarding the arrest of officials are not communicated to him in advance. Yet, among those arrested are individuals appointed by Kiriyenko.
The figures more clearly illustrate the tension of the situation: since the start of the war, arrests of officials across Russia have tripled. In 2025 alone, 155 officials – mayors, vice-governors, and high-ranking individuals – were arrested. During the same period, the Prosecutor's Office confiscated business assets worth 4.5 trillion rubles.
Sources indicate that the longer the war continues, the deeper the struggle between power centers within the Kremlin becomes, and state governance rapidly moves towards chaos spiraling out of control.
