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The Beginning of the End of Putinism?

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Posted: April 4th, 2017

By Rob Dannenberg

Rob Dannenberg served as chief of operations for CIA's Counterterrorism Center, chief of the Central Eurasia Division and chief of the Information Operations Center before retiring from the Agency.  He served as managing director and head of the Office of Global Security for Goldman Sachs, and as director of International Security Affairs at BP.  He is now an independent consultant on geopolitical and security risk.

On Sunday, March 26, widespread protests broke out in more than 80 cities in the Russian Federation, apparently in response to the government’s inability or unwillingness to deal with the problem of endemic corruption.

Estimates of the numbers of protesters vary, with the opposition claiming that more than 30,000 participated in Moscow alone. The government estimated fewer than 8,000 protesters. With the announced number of protesters arrested at over 1,500, it is likely the number of participants was larger than government figures suggest, though definitely smaller than the massive protests in 2011 and 2012.  

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