Russia has experienced numerous arson attacks on army recruitment centers since Putin initiated a mobilization campaign in September of last year. Moscow has also been cracking down on criticism of its campaign in Ukraine, with an increase in treason cases and lengthy prison sentences for social media dissent. The head of Russia’s FSB security service, Alexander Bortnikov, recently accused Ukraine and the West of recruiting young Russians to carry out armed attacks in their home country. Bortnikov’s accusations come shortly after President Putin accused the West of having assisted Kyiv in staging “terror attacks” in Russia while Moscow pursues its military offensive against Ukraine. According to Bortnikov, “118 terrorist crimes have been prevented in Russia” since February of last year, when Moscow began its offensive in Ukraine. He did not provide any details about the supposed crimes or who they targeted, but alleged that the perpetrators were young people and teenagers, including minors. In early March, Russia arrested a young woman after an explosion killed a top military blogger in Saint Petersburg, blaming Ukraine and the opposition. Russia has also seen a rise in arson attacks on army recruitment centers since Putin launched his mobilization campaign in September of last year. Last week, Putin stated that “there are grounds to assert” that Western intelligence services were involved in “staging sabotage and terrorist attacks.”
