Topic - Andrei Soldatov

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 →

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 →