Historically smart money is, far away from large population centers. There’s a reason the French monarchy was forced to stay in Paris during the revolution.

Other smart moves would probably be - lose the controversial defense minister, blame it all on him, put Prigozhin in a prestigious but far-away position, wind the war down slowly while trying to find a “Mission Accomplished” moment to try and cool things down with the west, etc.

Almost nobody in a position of power actually does the smart thing in these situations, though. So, my popcorn is ready today. 🍿