Putin sets referendum that could allow him to rule until 2036 for July 1

The backstory: Putin has largely delegated the COVID-19 response to local officials, an unfamiliar approach from a man who has cultivated a strongman image over two decades in power.

• He did declare a vaguely defined "non-working period," which ended on May 11.
• The more passive Putin is not particularly popular. His approval rating has fallen to a historically low, if still enviable, 59%, according to the Levada Center.

Where things stand: Russia has recorded the third most COVID-19 cases, behind the U.S. and Brazil, but is believed to be massively undercounting deaths — officially at 4,855 — because only fatalities that can be directly tied to the disease are included in the tally.

• Last week, Russia's health ministry announced it would only count people showing symptoms as having contracted or died of COVID-19.

• Russia recorded roughly 9,000 new cases per day over the past week, down from a peak of around 11,000 in early May but still among the highest rates in the world.

What to watch: The referendum would allow Putin, 67, to seek two additional six-year terms following his current mandate, along with other changes to the constitution.

Go deeper:

• Pandemic brings Putin down to size
• 20 Years of Putin: Tracing his rise from KGB to Kremlin