posted by gutThroughout there has also been plenty of propaganda flowing the other direction. Remember all the reports of Putin's failing health?
The two theories that make the most sense to me are 1) false flag (not sure how this makes sense, but it explains a lot) or 2) he didn't have the support he needed to win, and so he hit the eject button.
In other words, maybe not a coup at all, but definitely not a successful coup. I've never seen a coup where the head of the insurgency self-exiles while the current leader retains power.
Like you said #1 don't make sense. The Russians don't do false flags that show weakness. On #2 they downed a significant amount of Russian aircraft in a very short period of time. Something the Ukrainians have rarely accomplished in that short period of time during the war. They took down a command and control plane. This is not done without intelligence. Another thing I noticed is the lack of tanks defending Moscow. Civilian dump trucks blocking roads and excavators digging them up.
I have never seen a failed coup where the supposed leader of it is chauffeured out of town in a government looking suv stopping to shake hands with the locals with heavy military military vehicles on the road behind. Has Putin shown himself in public since the coup has been overthrown? Time will tell.
