South Africa's president said Tuesday that arresting Russian President Vladimir Putin - should he show up at an economic summit next month in Johannesburg - would amount to a "declaration of war" by his country.
Moscow has begun sacking commanders of military units involved in the fighting in Ukraine as part of a growing crackdown on high-level insubordination against top officials in the Defense Ministry.
Vladimir Putin could have lived out his life in luxury, committing serial murders with impunity and spending his country's wealth fighting tigers in Siberia at his suburban Moscow mansion.
President Vladimir Putin claimed Tuesday that the Russian people were "united as never before," as he sought to project confidence in the wake of a short-lived revolt during a meeting of a rare international organization where he can find a sympathetic audience.