Will the people in Russia be able to connect the dots and see how this blood is on Putins hands? I doubt. Will they even be able to hear about this news on state media? Also doubt. If they hear about it and connect the dots, will that change their opinion of theirs countries action? So much doubt. In a modern democratic state, if the head of state would free a convict and that guy then murders six, that alone would be his political death. In Russia its just another Tuesday. 40+ people dying of mystery death? Shrug. What a crazy mob state.

I guess it has a lot to do with keeping your head down, don’t speak up and if asked, lie about your real feelings to save you and your family. The history of punishment in former communist countries, for the acts of divergence, are not yet reprocessed and will mostly likely only 10-20 years after a complete fail of the state. The other day, I heard a (german) Podcast where Vikor Jerofejew is talking about the concept of guilt and punishment in the soviet union. He talks about how for the smallest delinquency you could be interned instantly into a gulag without trial by pure arbitrariness. In his interview, he mentions an interesting anecdote, where he talk about his grandmother and how, when she dropped a plate or a cup, she was always saying “The cup has been broken” or “The cup got broken”. She never said “I broke the cup”. He thinks that is because of admitting guilt and the inevitably and draconian punishment, trained the people in these soviet times to never admit guilt. Never admit wrong doing. Deny the topic or lie - for your own good. Maybe this country never learned to admit guilt or wrong doing as this is indivisible interconnected with hard punishment. And they can not speak up, as this is still ingrained in their upbringing.