Russian elite fears FSB, which is increasingly out of control - Bloomberg
Many members of the Russian elite are increasingly concerned that the Federal Security Service has spiraled out of control, as Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is tasking the agency with maintaining his grip on power amid growing anxiety over the war in Ukraine.
Bloomberg reports this, according to Censor.NET.
Details
"The terrorism charges brought against billionaire and Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov are the latest evidence of an intensifying wave of repression by the FSB, according to sources close to the Kremlin who asked not to be named when discussing sensitive issues," the publication notes.
Despite Putin’s long tenure in power, striking a balance between hardliners on security issues and more moderate groups among his officials who focus on the economy, many in Kremlin circles believe that the Russian president is now consistently siding with those who favor tighter control over business and society, Bloomberg sources emphasized.
This situation is heightening tensions, as the FSB is expanding its sphere of influence without any apparent limits on its power, while high-ranking officials—namely, Putin’s influential head of domestic policy, Sergei Kirienko—are losing influence, according to assessments by sources close to the Kremlin and the government. Kirienko was recently criticized for the failures of Russia’s political operations in Armenia, Moldova, and Hungary.
"The FSB has become the country's governing body. The political administration, the Foreign Ministry, and the financial and economic sector have been reduced to mere technical staff who carry out decisions made with the interests of the security services in mind," said Andrei Kolesnikov, a political analyst from Moscow.
As Bloomberg points out, Putin, a former KGB agent and head of the FSB, is relying on his security service to maintain his power as the war becomes increasingly visible to ordinary Russians.
