Putin's regime weaponizes religion to consolidate power, crushing Christian sects it can't control while using Russian Orthodoxy as a political tool, according to @LoomerUnleashed correspondent Andrew Moore.

The Kremlin applies the same strategy to Islam—isolating violent jihadists and deploying them against Russia's enemies when needed. The blueprint: Chechnya, where Putin installed warlord Ramzan Kadyrov. Kadyrov operates with near-total autonomy in exchange for loyalty to the Kremlin.

Moore argues Putin has no hesitation deploying violent jihadists against his enemies, including targeting Christians and Jews in Ukraine, as long as it serves his grip on power.