Thread by @KonotopW

Starting from May 17, all reports to #Putin go through the Secretary of the #SecurityCouncil, #Patrushev. For most of the issues that require the permission or opinion of the president, the decision is now made personally by Patrushev and he informs Putin in his final report
1/5

Even the First Deputy Chief of the Presidential Administration, Sergei Kiriyenko, who traditionally has direct access to the #president, now reports to and receives assignments and recommendations from #Patrushev
2/5

Also, #Gerasimov, Putin's dismissed Chief of the General Staff, reported to #Patrushev yesterday, after telephone conversations with Mark Milley, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.
#Putin himself has held only two phone conversations personally since Tuesday
3/5

VIPs in the #Russian government are getting worried because they don't understand who makes key decisions and who is responsible for the situation in the country. Decisions made by #Patrushev can and undoubtedly will be perceived ambiguously by the people in power
4/5

Without guarantees of support for these decisions by #Putin, things will quickly descend into a political crisis. The regime in #Russia now rests only on the authority of Putin & his guarantees for the elites. Without him neither #Patrushev nor anyone else can be the backbone
5/5