Putin is consolidating his control over the elite by merging past semi-independent corporations into one single pyramid upon which he sits. One key driver for this increased central control is a desire to have more direct authority over the use of the colossal budget funds allocated to the war effort.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defence continues to put pressure on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to announce a new wave of mobilisation to bring in additional troops and compensate for the Kremlin's losses on the battlefield in Ukraine.

The Russian president earlier this year rebuffed Defense Ministry officials who had tried to convince him they needed more soldiers.