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Amy Knight, a former Woodrow Wilson fellow, is a frequent contributor to the New York Review of Books and the Times Literary Supplement. She is the author of six books on Russian history and politics, including, most recently, Orders to Kill: The Putin Regime and Political Murder, published in 2017 by St. Martin's Press.Send her tips: tips@thedailybeast.com. You can also use our anonymous document submission system, SecureDrop. Click here to find out how.

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Putin’s Soft Spot for This Crony Is Ruining His Precious War

THICK AS THIEVES

One of Putin’s favorite insiders has been accused of plundering Russian assets instead of focusing on his day job. Sadly for the Kremlin, he’s supposed to be running the war.

Amy Knight | Published Mar 23, 2022

Putin Pals Were Mysteriously Spared From U.S. Sanctions

MISSED A SPOT

Banking tycoons Petr Aven and Mikhail Fridman worked hard to embed themselves among Washington’s elite over the years—and their ties to Putin run deep.

Amy Knight | Published Mar 15, 2022

The Russian People May Be Starting to Think Putin Is Insane

MADMAN THEORY

The more desperately Putin tries to demonstrate his authority ahead of elections in 2024, the more his grip on power may slip away.

Amy Knight | Published Mar 01, 2022

Anti-Putin Campaigners: Sanction Oligarchs’ Large Adult Sons

RISE OF THE PRINCELINGS

As Biden announces his first punitive measures against the Kremlin, Russia’s anti-corruption campaigners say it’s time to stop cronies evading Western sanctions via their families.

Amy Knight | Published Mar 02, 2021

Putin Says He Knows Nothing About His $1 Billion Palace

LYING TO YOUR FACE

Facing growing national protests over his treatment of anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny, the Russian president is backed into a corner over Navalny’s latest exposé.

Amy Knight | Published Jan 26, 2021

Why Russia’s Overseas Spies Keep Getting Caught

OVER-EXPOSED

Spy rings keep getting busted and a massive hack of U.S. government departments has been exposed, but Russia’s spooks keep blundering on.

Amy Knight | Published Jan 19, 2021

The Poison Trail That Led Straight to Putin

DANGEROUS

The Russian president was forced to admit that FSB agents had been trailing Alexei Navalny before his poisoning by the deadly nerve agent Novichok.

Amy Knight | Published Dec 17, 2020

What is Putin’s Endgame With Americans Detained in Russia?

PAWNS

The investor Michael Calvey and former U.S. Marines Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed could prove to be valuable bargaining chips for Russia under a Biden administration.

Amy Knight | Published Nov 26, 2020

Putin Is in Real Trouble as Former USSR Goes up in Flames

WALLS CLOSING IN

Holed up in isolation President Putin is facing the gravest crisis of his regime as domestic and foreign threats to his authority stack up faster than he can crush them.

Amy Knight | Published Oct 08, 2020

Navalny Had Many Kremlin Enemies—but Who Wanted Him Dead?

BOTCHED JOB

Putin and the Kremlin elite must be nervous about the improbable survival of the gadfly who exposed their corruption.

Amy Knight | Published Sep 10, 2020

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