Putin's Struggling to Silence His Critics

Critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine are continuing to speak out despite the Kremlin's restrictions on protests in major cities.

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine heads toward its 21st month, relatives of Russian servicemembers have repeatedly called for their loved ones to be returned home. Moscow's troops have reported several cases of low morale among its ranks, where soldiers are facing poor treatment from higher-ranking officials and a lack of adequate training and equipment.

On Friday, the Telegram channel The Way Home—a Russian account dedicated to calling for mobilized soldiers to be returned home—shared a copy of a letter signed by Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin rejecting a request by military families to hold a rally in Russia's capitol protesting the war. According to the letter, which was also included in a report by the independent news site Meduza, the request for the rally was denied because of the city's ordinance regarding crowds in COVID-19, which first went into place in June 2020.

"Where is the justice for us?" read the caption alongside The Way Home's post. "Where is the justice for our men? Is this how you support the country's heroes? Is there Covid at the front too?"

"You show a beautiful picture in the media, but this is the reality," the post continued. "For whom is this a complete lie? The people already know what is happening."

Similar protests have also been denied by Russian authorities, but the restrictions have had little impact on military families standing up for their loved ones. On November 7, dozens of women gathered in Moscow demanding that their spouses and relatives be returned home from the war before police interrupted the demonstration. According to the Russian media outlet Important Stories, the participants behind the rally had also applied for permission to protest but were denied due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The Way Home has also encouraged plans for mass protests demanding that servicemembers be returned home, including publishing a manifesto to Telegram on Sunday that invited Russians across the country to participate in rallies on November 19. Citizens who protest without permission risk facing hefty fines and potential imprisonment of up to five years, according to Amnesty International.

The Kremlin has attempted to crack down on any dissent since launching its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, including by blocking access to social platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. In March, Russia's lower house of parliament approved an amendment that increased the penalty for citizens who were found liable "for the dissemination of knowingly false information" regarding the so-called special military operation in Ukraine. Those found guilty of spreading false information could face up to 15 years in prison.

Putin has also focused on ways to hold onto control ahead of Russia's presidential elections in March 2024. Earlier this month, the Kremlin leader signed new amendments to the country's election laws restricting what media outlets would be allowed to cover the election next spring. The restrictions could make it more difficult for independent media outlets in Russia to cover instances of election fraud.

Newsweek reached out to the Kremlin's press office via email for comment.