The Economist's Data Team on the War in Ukraine

In Russia, narrative is everything. The one thing that has been consistent is that people who control the narrative have the power. And if Iliad thought the Kremlin would leave that up to him and his liberal friends, he was mistaken. It's just pure anger. When did it stop feeling like a game? After Putin returned to power, prosecutors went after the Balotna protesters. That's the moment when it stopped being fun. There was no hope. If you already subscribed to the Economist, thank you. Otherwise, for access to all our journalism and to join exclusive events with our Qadi and others on our team, visit economist.com slash Moscow offer.