Welcome, Marat Khairullin | July 9, 2026 | Benchwarmers of GDP.

Who might succeed Vladimir Putin? Why is Dmitry Medvedev considered the frontrunner? What roles do Nikolai Patrushev, Alexey Dyumin, Alexander Novak, and Mikhail Mishustin play? And why is the issue of power transition in Russia so closely linked to China and the balance of influential elite groups? Journalist Marat Khairullin delves into these questions in this new episode.