Moscow officials terrified of working in occupied areas of Ukraine, demanding security

As the officials demand security guarantees from the Russian military, the latter forward their appeals to the FSB and the National Guard, claiming a lack of resources to ensure their protection, intelligence sources told Guildhall, according to Ukrinform.

“Russian officials in the occupied territories are afraid of reprisals on the part of the local population and complain over the Russian defense ministry’s refusal to provide them security. The Russian military recommends that officials appeal for security to the FSB and the National Guard,” the report reads.

The team of the Russian Ministry of Labor and Social Policy has arrived in the occupied Kherson and part of the Zaporizhia region, where the Russian military turned down their demand for proper security.

“Officials fear for their lives, and some refuse to work until security is assured,” the report reads, noting that the Russian military is aware of the high level of hostility on the part of the local population, frequent guerilla attacks and sabotage efforts in the area.

The conflict has reached high offices in Moscow, where the first deputy chief of Putin’s Administration, Sergei Kiriyenko, has been tasked with dealing with the issue. He is expected to arrive in occupied Kherson in the coming days to this end.