Summary

Security experts are digging into what a post-Putin Russia might look like, highlighting a system designed to be opaque and coup-proof. Meanwhile, recent reports have flatly debunked conspiracy theories targeting the Chabad-Lubavitch movement as a front for espionage.

Key Stories

• The scramble for Putin’s successor — The Kremlin’s system is built to prevent any clear heirs from rising, leaving power transitions to be decided behind closed doors by security elites and technocrats.

• Technocrats vs. hardliners in Russia — Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is seen as a pragmatic choice for economic stability, while figures like Alexei Dyumin could represent hardline military continuity.

• Chabad espionage claims debunked — Experts and fact-checkers have dismissed claims that the Chabad-Lubavitch movement acts as a front for money laundering, noting that such theories mirror historical anti-religious tropes.

• Local scandals vs. institutional purpose — While some individual members of religious organizations have faced legal issues, there is no evidence of systemic state-sponsored crime within the broader movement.