Putin gives FSB carte blanche to 'cleanse' Russia ahead of elections - Ukraine’s intel
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has officially instructed the FSB to ensure the alleged "sovereignty" of the upcoming elections to the State Duma. In effect, he has granted security forces the authority to clear the political field and suppress any dissent, according to the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.
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Carte blanche for security forces
According to intelligence reports, speaking at a meeting of the FSB board, the Russian leader called on the special services to tighten control over the electoral process scheduled for September 2026.
Analysts say that the term protection of "sovereignty" is being used to mask the creation of conditions in which the outcome of the vote will be determined even before it begins.
Putin stressed the need for strict coordination between the FSB and other security agencies, including the Ministry of Defense and the National Guard, in order to counter internal threats.
"The security apparatus has been given carte blanche to suppress any dissent ahead of the Duma elections in September," the intelligence service noted.
Search for 'internal enemies'
Traditionally, the Russian leadership links any domestic instability to external influence.
During his speech, Putin once again accused Ukraine and the West of attempting to destabilize the situation inside Russia.
"The 'fortress under siege' narrative, which Putin has been exploiting for two decades, has been brought to its logical conclusion in this speech: an external enemy, an internal traitor, and elections that need to be 'protected' – first and foremost from the voters themselves," the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine emphasized.
In addition to political pressure, the Kremlin leader focused on cyber threats and problems in the state defense procurement sector, directly pointing to the exhaustion of the Russian economy due to the prolonged war.
Total control in Russia
The Kremlin continues to strengthen its repressive machine not only inside Russia, but also in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
In particular, in Donetsk, the occupying forces have effectively replaced journalists with security officers, turning the media space into a tool of direct propaganda supervised by armed personnel.
Moreover, in Russia, any attempts to disclose the truth about real losses or the state of the army have been officially banned, as part of a strategy of complete information isolation of society ahead of the elections.
Moscow is also actively involving young people in its ideological machine: in the occupied Luhansk region, children are being forced to participate in propaganda events, preparing the future electorate for obedience to the regime.
Experts note that such a total purge is linked to the fact that, despite all the Kremlin’s efforts, attempts at internal resistance still alarm the Russian leadership, pushing it toward even harsher measures.
