When President Vladimir Putin traveled to the Kursk region this month for the first time since Russia expelled Ukrainian forces, his helicopter reportedly came under fire from Ukrainian drones. And that’s exactly how the Kremlin designed it. As ordinary Russians continue to bear the domestic brunt of Putin’s war, the Kremlin and the security services staged this PR stunt to convince the public that Putin, too, is making sacrifices for the country, four current and former Russian officials told The Moscow Times. All of these sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details related to Putin’s security. With...