On Sunday, a devastating missile strike hit Kyiv’s Pechersk Lavra, one of the most sacred sites in the Orthodox world. The attack points to a Kremlin that is now burning through its own foundational myths, chiefly Russia and Ukraine's shared Orthodox heritage. Days earlier, news coverage of Russia Day celebrations highlighted a different problem for the Kremlin: the seeming erosion of the emotional connection between Vladimir Putin and the soldiers he claims to lead. As Russian state media projects confidence and momentum on the battlefield, signs of anxiety are obvious on the homefront. How long can a leader maintain structural control when even his state-orchestrated military "heroes" show little positive emotion for their mission? And what does Moscow's most recent act of escalation reveal about the Kremlin's willingness to prolong the Ukraine ...