How Russia became a militant autocracy

From the Obozrevatel:

"How Russia turned Europe into a theater of hybrid warfare: from the destruction of Yukos to drug trafficking through North Africa

Leonid Nevzlin, December 4, 2025 

While European politicians debate new security models, Moscow has long been acting according to its own script—methodically, cold-bloodedly, and with virtually no resistance, destroying the Western order. Many still reduce Russian attacks to cyberattacks, propaganda, or sabotage. But the real picture is much broader and more dangerous.

For example, just recently, Swedish General Mikael Claesson, Chief of the General Staff, openly stated that Russia is overseeing the flow of drugs and illegal migrants into Europe via North Africa. And this isn't just criminal activity—it's part of a larger strategy to destabilize the EU and NATO. And this is yet another manifestation of the system Putin began building twenty years ago.

When the Kremlin destroyed Yukos in 2003, many perceived it as yet another internal Russian conflict. In reality, it was a turning point and a dress rehearsal for a dictatorship that would later extend far beyond the country's borders. The seized assets were incorporated into the mafia vertical built by Putin, ultimately merging business, security forces, and criminals into a single system. The logic then was established that remains in effect today: control over the economy, politics, and society as the foundation for preparation for war.

It was in 2003 that Putin and his gang experienced a sense of impunity. The West had a chance to stop the escalation, but it didn't: no sanctions, no political pressure, no real consequences—they continued to do business with the Kremlin and communicate with it on international platforms. Had Moscow received a tough response then, the world might have avoided the war in Georgia, the annexation of Crimea, and a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But Putin received the signal that he was free to do anything.

The destruction of Yukos was effectively the first shot of this war—not an artillery one, but a legal one. It was then that the destruction of independent businesses began, and the economy was put on a militarized path. From that moment on, Russia ceased to be a market state and began to transform into a war machine: mobilizing resources, total control of information, dismantling independence, and searching for mechanisms for illicit enrichment around the world.

In the book "Mafia State: How Russia Failed to Become Democratic," published under my editorship, I detail how mafia autocracy is impossible without a complete monopoly on financial flows. This is precisely why Putin destroyed or subjugated big business and replaced market processes with corrupt schemes. Today, the Kremlin equally easily finances the army, special operations, and propaganda, exerts influence through banks and companies in Europe, supports European politicians, and controls illicit flows—from weapons to drugs. It's a well-thought-out model.

Examples have been cited numerous times: Karin Kneissl, the former Austrian foreign minister who danced with Putin; Finnish Prime Minister Esko Aho; Italian diplomat Cesare Ragalini; Berlusconi adviser Angelo Codignoni—the list is long. All these people were formally supposed to represent the interests of their countries, but after leaving their positions, they ended up in the "Kremlin personnel department."

The Swedish general's latest statements confirm what experts have been saying for years: Russia is using drug trafficking and illegal immigration as weapons. The Kremlin is collaborating with groups in North Africa, relying on criminal structures, creating artificial flows of migrants, and simultaneously fueling drug trafficking into Europe. Political chaos is exacerbated by populist forces, which Moscow actively supports. This is a direct continuation of the pattern that began with the Yukos affair: the mafia in power uses crime as an instrument of state policy.

Modern Europe is increasingly feeling the consequences of this strategy. Under the guise of energy projects and business investments, the Kremlin is penetrating critical infrastructure and the media space. Moscow-controlled networks are lobbying for political decisions that weaken European unity. Disinformation campaigns are undermining public trust, and cyberattacks are paralyzing important systems. Illegal migration and drug trafficking are becoming additional tools for pressuring states. All of this is creating a new reality: Europe has become a theater of hybrid warfare, where traditional security mechanisms no longer work. Failure to recognize the systemic nature of the threat and act collectively will have grave consequences.

Putin wasn't building a state, but a mafia-like structure with nuclear weapons. And this structure operates not only through the military, but also through crime, corruption, migration crises, drug trafficking, and political interference. Europe is already paying for this mistake—and will pay even more unless it acknowledges that Russia has been waging war against it for twenty years, and that this war has long since gone beyond the bounds of traditional politics.

The consequences of this strategy are already being felt by millions of Europeans—from economic instability to rising crime and social tension. Experts predict that without decisive, concerted action, this threat will only grow. The Kremlin's hybrid methods are becoming the norm, not the exception, undermining the very foundation of European security. Europe stands at a crossroads: either acknowledge the full scale of the threat or continue to pay for the mistakes of the past."