[Flavious_Maximus]

I can see Chechnya leaving but doubt that the other oblast will be allowed independence.

Texas will become an independent Republic before Tatarstan or Bashkortostan. Heck, even California will become part of Mexico before that happens.

Diane Francis should be more concerned with the USA and NATO splitting apart than Russia.

[Cronos]

while I also can't envision what the article author wrote about, I do need to point out:

1. No one in 1988 could envision the USSR collapsing in their lifetimes, leave alone in a few years. I've spoken to older people living in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Russia and none of them could believe it
   
   
2. Russia has a half millenia of history where it has a strongman who kills off all rivals and leaves no designated heir - this leads to chaos when he dies
   
   
3. Russia or rather Putin went for a headshot and missed in Feb 2022, that will have repercussions internally
   
   
4. Tatarstan, Bashkorstan etc. may just go their own way if the central government implodes... Not so much a had leaving, but just a wandering off