The Observer view on anti-Kremlin protests in Siberia | Observer editorial

Putin's failure to put down unrest in Khabarovsk suggests he may be losing his grip on Russia's regions

After Vladimir Putin pushed through constitutional changes enabling him to remain as Russia's president until 2036, most people assumed that, like it or not, he was here to stay. But residents of the city of Khabarovsk, on the eastern edge of Siberia, have different ideas. They have been demonstrating each weekend since July, calling, among other things, for Putin to resign. Down with the tsar!" is one of their more pointed slogans.

Outbreaks of provincial unrest over issues such as pensions, food prices and environmental pollution are not uncommon in Putin's Russia. But the turmoil in Khabarovsk is exceptional and potentially significant. So far, at least, the security forces have not attempted to suppress the protests, which has raised eyebrows in a country where public challenges to the Kremlin's power usually end in a brutal flurry of police batons.

One possible explanation for this restraint is that officials hope that distant Khabarovsk province, separated from Moscow by 3,800 miles of mountains, ancient forests and several time zones, can simply be ignored. State media have avoided all mention of the unrest. More intriguing, however, is the suggestion that Putin cannot trust local police forces and national guard units to implement a crackdown.