As I posted awhile back some investors have been buying options and futures to profit greatly if "Mad Vlad" is deposed and Russia is allowed to flood the energy markets with cheap oil and nat gas.
From today's headlines there is growing unrest in his most loyal circles and the thinking he is on the skids big time. Also he has cancelled his 3 hour open press conference for year end and his glittering New Year's Eve Kremlin gala for his elite cronies to pay homage to him. This ball has rivaled anything the Czars had and he lived basking in the boot licking and worshipping. Things must be really bad for him to give this up!
As Putin goes so does the price of oil. Exploration and development money will evaporate as the Russians are allowed to flood the markets to get money for Ukraine reperations.