By early May, Putin’s regime appeared to be facing a perfect storm: a battlefield stalemate, economic stagnation, and a visibly faltering state response to crises ranging from flooding in Dagestan to a foot-and-mouth outbreak in Siberia.

By early May, Putin’s regime appeared to be facing a perfect storm: a battlefield stalemate, economic stagnation, and a visibly faltering state response to crises ranging from flooding in Dagestan to a foot-and-mouth outbreak in Siberia.