Knives out in Moscow.
Success has a hundred fathers, but failure is an orphan.
This.
Russia is too big to be run by a Central Government, so it relies on LOTS of little fifedoms in flyover Russia to run it.
People in Flyover Russia LOVE LOVE LOVE Putin and the guy can do no wrong (if you had 3 government run TV channels and no other means of information, what else would you think?)
But...Flyover Russians lives also pretty much suck, so ALL of their problems (including their sons coming home in a body bag) are the direct fault of their local fifedom leaders, putting pressure on these local "warlords without a war" to act.
You don't get to be in charge of a local fifedom in Russia without learning how to break a few eggs. When crapstorms are rolling your way, you can revert to your old ways to try to head them off at the pass.