Well, Putin pulls out everything of the toolset a dictator can do.
- He is using a high amount of propaganda and misinformation (that interestingly the marginal intelligent and uneducated in the West fall for)
- He suppresses opposition
- He arrests, daunts and kills critics
- He annuls democratic institutions and election laws to prolong his tenure.
- He controls economy
So yes, he has pretty tight grip on Russia.
And no he is not a puppet of Oligarchs. They live in a symbionitc relationship.
Until know. But Putins imperialistic wrath is against their interests.