In Russia, Informing on Fellow Citizens Has Reached the Level of the Communist Regime 0 7

Critics note that such a high level of informing has not been observed since the times of the communist regime.

The FSB, established on the basis of the Soviet Union's Committee for State Security (KGB), claims that as a result of these reports, 18 people have been prosecuted for "terrorism or sabotage in the interests of Ukraine," for which they face long prison sentences. According to the FSB, the detainees "set fire to transport and other infrastructure facilities."

Last year, the FSB's hotline received 68,785 calls, and an additional 77,772 calls were taken by regional branches of the service.

Nearly 16,000 reports contained "information relevant to the investigation," the FSB claims, adding that 20 criminal cases have also been initiated for knowingly false reports.

Since Russia's renewed invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, repression against the opposition has intensified in the country, and any criticism of the war is effectively not tolerated. People daring to criticize the official policy are charged with justifying terrorism, discrediting the army, or spreading false information about the armed forces.