I read the book - all it indicates is that dealings in Russia are treacherous not that Putin orders each and every hit. The problem in perception that I see is that Putin is shown as all powerful and controlling. Putin’s phenomenal ability has been to lead this crazy Russian nation where everyone can kill you and do so with some competence and also seems to have reversed a decline in some areas but not so much in others.
Another book I read was “Londonistan” which was about oligarch and ex-oligarch ex-patriates in London. Some of them butted heads, unsuccessfully, with Putin. Maybe it wasn’t money... they had built empires during the dissolution and privatization of the USSR, and Putin wanted them back, perhaps not for himself, but for the country. And then there’s the case of Alexander Litvenenko, who was poisoned by Polonium, presumably by Russian agents.
It might be a wild herd that does a lot of free-lancing, like our CIA used to be; or there may be benign neglect from the top.
I don’t know. I don’t think he’s Mr. Clean, but I still think he’s more patriotic than Mr. Obama.
Addendum: My bad... the title wasn’t Londonistan. But, the book was about high powered Russian emigrees in London.