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Could Putin's iron grip on Russia be weakening? For months, grassroots protests have been forming across the country, from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg, as Russians rage over job losses, unpaid wages, and controls on imported cars. Until recently, the Kremlin had been somewhat effective at concealing the scale of the uprisings by imposing a media blackout—but the protests, which often bring together hundreds of frustrated, fed-up Russians, are becoming tougher to conceal. The growing unrest is the greatest Putin has faced since he took office in 2000, as the prosperity he once promised is fading fast.