We have been speculating for more than a year about whether President Dmitry Medvedev would be able to display even the slightest evidence of independent decision-making. Until now, most Russia-watchers concluded that Medvedev was no more than a loyal appendage of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
But on Nov. 24, we saw a new, strong-willed side of Medvedev when he fired three generals and one colonel for their negligence in the explosions that occurred one day earlier at a Navy weapons arsenal in Ulyanovsk, 800 kilometers east of Moscow. It was the second major explosion at the arsenal within 10 days. The first occurred on Nov. 13, leading to a raging fire that left two people dead. The second explosion killed eight people.
Officials in Ulyanovsk were in a state of panic. Medvedev was due to arrive in Ulyanovsk the day after the second explosion as part of a previously scheduled trip. They ordered workers to feverishly clean up the aftermath before the president’s arrival in an attempt to hide as much damage as possible. But the cleanup efforts didn’t help.
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