Isolated Putin
Today on \u201cPost Reports,\u201d we cover the latest news from the war in Ukraine \u2013 and talk about why Putin is increasingly isolated, even among Russia\u2019s elite.
Over the weekend, a Russian missile struck a nine-floor apartment complex in central Ukraine. The timing, on a weekend afternoon, meant many people were at home at the time of the strike. Dozens of people were killed. The move seems to signal a new level of desperation from Russia \u2013 and reporter Catherine Belton says Russian President Vladimir Putin is increasingly isolated as the war grinds on, from the West but also his own allies among Russia\u2019s elite.
Putin on Tuesday used new government data to paint a surprisingly rosy picture of Russia\u2019s economy. \u201cThe actual dynamics of the economy turned out to be better than many expert forecasts,\u201d he said during a virtual meeting on the economy.
\u201cIt's not really clear what he's talking about because no one really knows what actually the ruble\u2019s value is anymore. It\u2019s being artificially set by the central bank,\u201d Belton says.
Today on \u201cPost Reports,\u201d we dive into Catherine\u2019s reporting on the gulf emerging between Putin and some of Russia\u2019s elite \u2013 leaving the leader increasingly friendless and increasingly paranoid.