A Split In Putin's Entourage: Two Major Clans Have Staged A "war" For Power
- 6.05.2026, 15:27
There was an open conflict between the administration of the Russian head of state and law enforcers.
A deep rift has emerged in Putin's entourage in the Kremlin, similar to the one that emerged before the re-election of Boris Yeltsin in 1996. This is reported by The Washington Post, citing a knowledgeable source in the Russian government. The controversy has intensified ahead of the State Duma elections scheduled for September.
Kiriyenko vs. the FSB
First Deputy Chief of Staff Sergei Kiriyenko "and his team" are trying to convince Putin that he can control the situation in the country through political technology. At the same time, the FSB's Constitutional Order Protection and Counterterrorism Service (2nd Service), the most influential in the country, insists that the situation can only be stabilized by tough methods and "tightening the screws."
These are different approaches, different stakes, and different teams competing for Putin's attention.
Recurrence of the split
The WP source compared the situation to the 1996 standoff. Back then, hardliners wanted to preserve Yeltsin's power by canceling or postponing presidential elections and imposing martial law. The oligarchs, on the other hand, wanted to finance his election campaign. Today the stakes are similar: either a scenario of controlled elections or an escalation of repression.
Khodorkovsky confirms
The former head of Yukos, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, confirmed the publication's version in a conversation with WP. "There is an absolutely obvious conflict between the presidential administration and the second directorate of the FSB. These guys have been given a lot of powers and have started to tighten the screws very hard. The presidential administration is trying to somehow let Putin know that the situation could get out of control," he said.
The Washington Post cites several public signs of the conflict. In late April, Sergei Novikov, head of the president's department for public projects, said at a conference on demography, "Society is tired of prohibitionist rhetoric, it is impossible to ban anything else."
The FSB has been pushing for ever tighter restrictions on the Internet, banning messengers and free access to Western sites. A week ago, in a public speech, Putin made it clear that he favors continuing to "tighten the screws."