At the latest since the scaled-down military parade on 9 May, a growing number of voices are saying that Russia is struggling. Popular support for Putin appears to be waning, people are starting to whisper about a coup and Russia’s military position in its war of aggression against Ukraine has deteriorated. Commentators debate whether the tide is now turning. Ground is shifting but Putin hasn’t noticedJOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The head of the Kremlin has lost touch with reality, Expresso emphasises (Portugal): “Unlike Putin, who lost contact with the people of his country long ago and lives a life of increasing isolation, most of society and a section of the Russia elite know only too well that a political victory in this war is practically impossible. ... Putin faces the huge problem of simultaneously having to deal with the military situation in Ukraine and the growing dissatisfaction among the Russian population. The Russian president may not have changed, but his country has. Big time.” The hour of reckoning In a Facebook post, author Viktor Shenderovich recalls a moment in 2014 when, seeing a grandmother with her grandson, he realised that it was only a matter of time before innocent Russian citizens would have to pay for Russia’s crimes (Russia): “I feel sorry for every individual, but not for the people as a whole. At the time, of course, I had no idea what this reckoning would look like. Even now, seeing Russia gradually going up in flames, I can only picture it in the broadest terms. ... But it is crystal clear: the hour of reckoning is upon us. ... And the longer this nightmare continues, the more Ukrainian blood these villains manage to spill, the higher the price and the more painful the path out of this blood-stained story will be.”