Above all, Soldatov said, is the FSB’s genuine belief of “the fragility of the regime” at a time of a political turmoil - either from mass protests, as in 2011-12, or now amid the war in Ukraine.
Growing number of treason and espionage cases in today's Russia under Vladimir Putin
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Soldatov said the Kremlin is going after a wide range of opponents because it fears pro-Western uprisings like those in Georgia and Ukraine and wants to prevent the seeds of dissent from growing into “something new.”
Kremlin critics: Russia targeting its foes abroad with killings, poisonings and harassment
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