Russian authorities attempt to quash public dissent by wives of deployed soldiers – UK intel
The relevant statement was made by the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom on the social media platform X, referring to the latest Defence Intelligence update, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
According to the analysts, this follows small scale protests in Moscow in November 2023.
“Research by independent Russia media outlets and comments by protesting wives themselves suggest that, in recent weeks, the authorities have likely offered increased cash payments to families in return for them refraining from protest,” the report states.
On November 27, 2023, one prominent online group for soldiers’ wives published a manifesto against ‘indefinite mobilisation’. Shortly afterwards, the group was pinned with a ‘fake’ warning label – likely at the instigation of pro-Kremlin actors, the UK intelligence noted.
“The authorities are likely particularly sensitive to any protests related to those citizens mobilised in September 2022, who have now been at the front line for over a year,” the analysts concluded.
