Alexey drove his bus through the morning rush hour in Kazan, Russia with skill and more than a dash of aggression.

He shook his head with resignation when asked about the Russian army’s lucrative signing-on bonuses, sighed and gave a half-shrug.

“Sure, I know people who have signed up but it’s not for me. Many just go for the cash,” he said.

Then, a ponderous silence. Rather like his driving, the conversation had veered speedily, but carefully, around obstacles until it reached this cliffhanger, a sensitive subject that the silence suggested should have been avoided in public.