In the face of mutiny, humiliated Putin didn’t know what to do. We should worry about what he’ll do next

The Russian leader, having faltered, is likely to renew his assault on Ukraine and impose repression at home with even greater intensity

There are powerful arguments that Vladimir Putin has been weakened by Prigozhin’s armed rebellion. Picture: Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik via AP

When something incomprehensible happens, it can be reassuring to fall back on old cliches. Churchill’s famous description of Russia as “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma,” summarises what many Russia analysts feel after the aborted armed rebellion led by Wagner commander Yevgeny Prigozhin this weekend. 

While answers remain elusive, some elements seem important to help navigate through the fog.