Russian Roulette: Russia's Economy in Putin's Era

The author analyzes Russia's political economy under recent leadership, tracing how security services and a fragmented military shape governance, business, and patronage. He surveys the energy, finance, defense, and space sectors, regional devolution, agricultural distress, and covert financial mechanisms that rechannel capital. The book considers arms exports, the economic dimensions of internal conflicts, and the role of intelligence networks in shaping policy. It also examines social stratification as a rising bourgeoisie coexists with mass impoverishment, and assesses diplomatic strategies that oscillate between Western integration and assertive, empire-oriented ambitions.