Russian President Vladimir Putin has ruled Russia with an iron griop for more than 20 years, but his attempts to consolidate power have been frustrated by COVID-19.
The country is recording a soaring infection rate, and critics say the real death toll is likely to be far higher than official figures. The president also faces an economic crisis, worsened by the global oil crash.
Europe Correspondent Samantha Hawley reports.
Read more of the ABC’s international coverage here:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/world/
For more from ABC News, click here: https://ab.co/2kxYCZY
You can watch more ABC News content on iview: https://ab.co/2OB7Mk1
Subscribe to us on YouTube: http://ab.co/1svxLVE
Go deeper on our ABC News In-depth channel: https://ab.co/2lNeBn2
You can also like us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/abcnews.au
Or follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/abcnews_au
Or even on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abcnews