Certainly, the clock ticks for both parties.
Where a fat man gets skinny, a skinny man starves.
If Putin does die (soon), will there be a power struggle ? Who is the clear successor ?
Good question. I think a better question is, would such a power struggle stop Russia's war effort? 3 years ago I would have said yes. But we have Prigozhin's march on Moscow. That's no power struggle, that's an open rebellion by a large armed mercenary force.
Everything I have heard from people in RU is that the populace is massively apathetic, and it would take a great deal of economic issues for the general populace to complain. Gasoline becomes impossible to buy, food prices triple, or maybe forced mobilization.
This is what I have also heard. Also there is a patriotic streak. Some people are actively in support of this war. They're a minority, and often are upset by the apathy of the majority, even as the government exploits said apathy. But this active minority donates money to support the war effort, produces some volunteers to help the war, and runs a decent-sized online space with many blogs and sites. Some of the patriotism is pretty thin, shit-posting in support of Russia on random sites. Some is pretty deep with some people enlisting out of patriotic rather than financial motivations. There's also an anti-war streak but the authorities have suppressed it. The two even meet, as extremes sometimes do, with figures that were connected to the '14 rebellion often criticism the current war in it's conduct and the Russian government (Moscow Calling for example).
