[A] trillion [dollars] has been subject to capital flight from Russia since 2005... primarily to Western banks. - Karen Dawisha

I expected a lot more criticism when I wrote the book... I think everyone is beginning to see the kind of person Putin is. What he did in Ukraine crossed a line, and that really mobilized the media to portray him as what he really is. ...I never meant for this book to bring down Mr. Putin; its purpose is to be educational... It may... provide evidence, but I would really just like it to educate readers about Russia, about Putin's presidency, and politics.

Anton Surikov... former military intelligence specialist.. "...all Russian politicians are bandits from St. Petersburg." Surikov...was dead within several months of this 2009 interview.

The and its supporters use the courts to scare off researchers who want to expose the corruption at the core of this regime.