Arman Spéth, Spectre Journal review of Ishchenko’s Towards the Abyss:
Therein lies the “truth” of the Kremlin’s propaganda, which publicly links the survival of the Russian nation with the victory in Ukraine: the “special operation” ensures the survival of Russia’s political capitalism.
Indeed, there are indications that important capitalist fractions in Russia are benefitting from the invasion. However, it remains unclear whether the political capitalists are the dominant group within the Russian elite, or whether there are other groups that are in favor of the war in Ukraine for other reasons. In Ishchenko’s analysis, it seems that the ruling classes in post-Soviet capitalist states consist exclusively of political capitalists, primarily motivated by the pursuit of “insider rents.” He does not distinguish between different segments of the bourgeoisie, some of which are not reliant on “insider rents” at all. For this reason Ishchenko’s analysis leaves important questions unresolved.