A New Battle in the Kremlin

For the first time in years, Russia’s elite conflict is no longer hidden. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Kiriyenko (left) and Belousov. Photo from the author. Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google A new power struggle has erupted between Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and Kremlin strategist Sergei Kiriyenko. At stake are up to 150 parliamentary seats—and the question of who truly holds power in Russia. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . Ahead of the September Duma elections, the Kremlin has promised its soldiers a reward: up to 150 veterans of the war in Ukraine are to be placed on the electoral list of the ruling party, United Russia – safe parliamentary seats as compensation for their service. In Russia, compiling such lists is not a democratic process. It is not voters who decide who enters parliament, but the presidential administration. For years, this monopoly has belonged to one man: Sergei Kiriyenko, once briefly prime minister under President Boris Yeltsin, now Putin’s chief domestic political strategist. But this time, things unfolded differently. At a closed meeting to prepare for the elections, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov openly attacked Kiriyenko: the up to 150 names on his list, he said, were not real fighters but bureaucrats from Kiriyenko’s network who had only spent a few months at the front as a formality. Belousov then offered to compile his own list – with real soldiers. This is an unprecedented development. A figure who previously had nothing to do with shaping parliamentary composition is suddenly intervening in the process. Belousov’s power has grown alongside the war, and his ambitions now appear to extend far beyond the Defense Ministry. Other Topics of Interest Zelensky Pledges ‘Mirror Response’ to Russian Easter Ceasefire Ukraine will adhere to the holiday truce but will respond in kind to any violations, President Zelensky announced following a series of deadly Russian drone strikes on the morning of the ceasefire. What is emerging is a power struggle within President Vladimir Putin’s innermost circle. Kiriyenko responded with a reversal: veterans in parliament, he argued, are not only unnecessary but dangerous. They could slip out of control and turn against Putin. As an example, observers often cite the case of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late head of the Wagner mercenary group, who during the war evolved rapidly from a loyal oligarch into a rebellious field commander. Of course, no one openly admits that the upcoming elections could turn into a clash between rival factions of Putin’s supporters. Instead, the presidential administration resorts to familiar rhetoric, claiming that the West will once again attempt to undermine stability in the country through a liberal “fifth column.” But this is merely rhetoric. The Rise of a New Patriotic Leader The real threat to Putin’s system does not come from liberals. It comes from the ultrapatriots – and they increasingly see Belousov as their champion. Belousov’s rise as a political figure has been unexpected. It is largely due to the criminal cases he initiated against associates of the unpopular former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. For the many pro-war bloggers who blame Shoigu for Russia’s battlefield failures, Belousov is a hero – someone fighting for victory. His image as a deeply religious man reinforces this perception. He is said to have claimed that the Virgin Mary herself speaks through Putin. Profoundly devout – some even consider him a religious fanatic – Belousov stands in stark contrast to other senior officials, whose defining trait is cynicism. For at least the past 15 years, parliamentary elections in Russia have been largely uneventful. But now my sources report unusually tense preparations in Moscow for the campaign scheduled for September. My interlocutors believe this could become a dangerous test for the regime. The Case of a Pro-Kremlin Blogger The Kremlin’s anxiety is illustrated by the case of the blogger Ilya Remeslo. Until recently, he was primarily known for disseminating compromising material about the now-deceased opposition figure Alexei Navalny and was widely seen as fully controlled by the authorities and subordinate to the residential administration. Two weeks ago, however, Remeslo suddenly published a scandalous post in which he blamed Putin for the situation in the country and described him as an illegitimate president. A day later, he gave interviews to several exile media outlets. The following day, he was committed to a psychiatric institution. What drove Remeslo to this outburst remains unclear. His words suddenly sounded like those of an exiled dissident – not a Kremlin-aligned blogger. Sources suggest that this, too, may be part of the struggle between the camps of Kiriyenko and Belousov – a demonstration by the Presidential Administration that even fanatical supporters can be unreliable and slip out of control. The case shows that the elite is preparing for a genuine power struggle. Putin’s system functioned as long as all conflicts were directed outward. Now they are turning inward – and the Duma elections will be the first test of whether the system can withstand it. Reprinted from the author’s blog  Mikhail Zygar is a Russian Journalist and writer, now arrested by Putin's court (in absentia). Author of 'All the Kremlin's Men' and 'War and Punishment'. Columnist for Der Spiegel and The New York Times. Visiting Professor in Columbia