Is the COVID-19 pandemic Putin’s Chernobyl moment? The pandemic is a test of trust and confidence in the Putin presidency

On 10 March 2020, the Russian Duma voted overwhelmingly in favour of a constitutional amendment paving the way for President Vladimir Putin to seek a fifth presidential term in 2024. Two months later, he is faced with a crisis which may eventually render any talk of his re-election meaningless. At the root of the crisis is the COVID-19 pandemic – truly a black swan for which few were prepared – and this challenge has been exacerbated by the closed and power-preserving nature of the Putinist regime.