That's the post-Soviet oligarchs who thought Russia had become a free market economy didn't get that they have to bow to the new czar. Of course, there wasn't a

That's the post-Soviet oligarchs who thought Russia had become a free market economy didn't get that they have to bow to the new czar. Of course, there wasn't a flip the switch moment from state A to B. It all became increasingly authoritarian during Putin's several mandates. He put his allies in key positions, favorised loyal interest groups, locked up or otherwise liquidated potential adversaries. It's really a mafia state, just like the late sen. Jonh McCaine said, but since they have wide popular support, I think we can safely call it feudalism. I've read an article and they've identified somewhere after April 2008 when the Bucharest NATO Summit (Putin was also present) took place and before August 2008, when the Russian invasion of Georgia began as the moment Putin ultimately decided to invade a nearby state in order to prevent NATO expansion into post-Soviet states. That's his red line, that's why he also invaded Ukraine. He still views these countries as part of the USSR/Russian world, just like Belarus where he currently tries a Crimean-style Anschluss. The reality is quite a bit different. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Georgian_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Georgian_War