"That's an extraordinary power, and Putin did it effectively, making sure it wound up in the news."
AdvertisementThe display of power by the Russian state, while jarring, is not out of the norm for Putin's regime, which has been accused of assassinations abroad for decades.
Both Navalny's and the pilot's deaths fit Putin's playbook to a T, exemplifying the lengths to which the Russian regime will go to maintain the illusion of total power, Schmidt said.
AdvertisementFor years, Navalny represented the most formidable threat to Putin's regime, criticizing corruption in the Russian state and organizing powerful anti-Kremlin protests.
AdvertisementNavalny's death shows Putin is easily threatenedThe two experts said Navalny's death, rather than simply displaying Putin's power, actually highlighted his weakness.
Persons:
—, Vladimir Putin, Alexey Navalny, Putin's, Putin, Matthew Schmidt, Schmidt, Navalny, Simon Miles, Miles, Robert English
Organizations:
Service, Business, The University of New Haven, US Army's School, Advanced Military Studies, Russia's Federal Prison Service, Kremlin, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union, University of Southern
Locations:
Ukraine, Russian, Spain, Russia, Avdiivka, Russia's, Soviet, Moscow, University of Southern California, Soviet Union, Eastern Europe