James Clapper: “It's all about the base and keeping his grip on it.”

It speaks to Putin's character, and his KGB background, having essentially lawless, mercenary group, a private army, responsible only to him.

I think this reflects Russian insecurity. And it's almost like, Putin needs a rhetorical security blanket, of making threats, like this.

I think he's trying to erase any vestiges of as much as he can of culpability that people that were caught up in this investigation.

Putin is committed to conquering, if he can, which I think will be impossible, all of Ukraine.