Vladimir Putin will tomorrow launch a fresh crackdown on Russian dissent as the war in Ukraine continues, according to the UK ministry of defence.
Their latest intelligence report says Moscow’s Foreign Agents Law, which has been “widely used to repress opponents” of Putin’s regime, will be further strengthened.
At the moment, the law defines foreign agents as those “who have received financial support from abroad”.
Under the new measures scheduled to come in from December 1, that will be expanded to include Russian residents deemed to be under the “influence or pressure” of foreign actors.
The MoD said that would “almost certainly placing them at risk of harassment”.
“The new laws will further extend the repressive powers available to the Russian state,” the intelligence report said.
“This continues a trend since Putin returned to the presidency in 2012, but which has dramatically accelerated since the invasion of Ukraine.
“The Kremlin is likely acting pre-emptively to prevent greater domestic dissent as the conflict remains unresolved and increasingly impacts Russians’ everyday lives.”
The crackdown comes as the war in Ukraine enters its ninth month with no sign of a major breakthrough for Moscow.
According to the Ukrainian defence ministry, approximately 88,380 Russian personnel have been eliminated throughout the course of the war.
Ukraine also estimates that Moscow has lost 2,911 tanks, 5,866 armoured combat vehicles and 16 warships.
Russia also recently withdrew from the only Ukrainian regional capital it had conquered throughout the course of the war, Kherson.