World · 30 August 2026
Putin keeps old, ill officials in power, hindering new leadership
Photo: The Presidential Press and Information Office (CC BY 4.0)
President Putin frequently issues decrees for officials like Alexander Bastrykin, the 73-year-old head of the Investigative Committee, to stay on past Russia's mandatory retirement age of 70. Putin's clinging to his ageing "securocrats" reflects his insecurity, as he doesn't fully trust a younger generation of officials.
Reported by The i Paper · How we write briefs