Andrei Soldatov, an investigative journalist and an expert on the Russian state’s intelligence apparatus, offered his insights on Vladimir Putin’s thinking in a recent interview.

There have been recent reports of purges within the security services after Russia’s military failures in Ukraine. He discussed the possible reasons for Putin’s turn against his intelligence agencies, the increasing power of the military in Russia, the changes and contractions within Putin’s inner circle over the past decade, how ordinary Russians view the current conflict, and why Soldatov himself left Russia in 2020.