Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has accused exiled opposition leader Mikhail Khodorkovsky and 22 members of the Russian Anti-War Committee of plotting a coup against President Vladimir Putin’s government.
The Anti-War Committee, established in 2022, identifies itself as a movement for “anti-war Russians” promoting solidarity and mutual support among citizens who oppose the Kremlin’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
According to the FSB, the group aims to “seize power by force and overthrow the constitutional order” an allegation Khodorkovsky has firmly denied. But international analysts believe this move reveals something deeper inside Russia’s leadership.
“It tells us that the Kremlin is becoming paranoid,” said John Herbst, Senior Director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine. “Putin is searching for enemies to strengthen his regime.”
Experts, including The Telegraph’s Kremlinologists, suggest these accusations signal a growing sense of vulnerability within Moscow’s power circles.
Russia’s economy is under severe pressure high interest rates are damaging local businesses, government borrowing costs continue to climb, and even the country’s economy minister Maxim Reshetnikov warned in June that Russia was on the “brink of recession.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s escalating drone attacks on Russian oil facilities have significantly disrupted the country’s fuel supply lines.
Adding to the tension, a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Hungary was canceled after Moscow rejected a proposed ceasefire that would have frozen the frontlines in Ukraine. In response, President Trump announced new U.S. sanctions targeting Russian oil giants, prompting India and China to reduce their oil imports from Russia a major financial setback for Putin’s war efforts.
“For the first time in over three years, Russia’s really starting to feel the pain,” said Timothy Ash, Associate Fellow at Chatham House’s Russia and Eurasia Programme. “There’s definitely a sense of panic.”
Inside Russia, even small acts of dissent are being met with punishment. Earlier this month, three young street musicians from St. Petersburg Diana Loginova, Alexander Orlov, and Vladislav Leontyev were jailed for nearly two weeks for performing songs by exiled anti-war artists.
Their group, known as Stoptime, gained online popularity for their performances of anti-war music. Authorities charged them with holding an “unauthorized public event,” while Loginova also faces additional charges for “discrediting” the Russian military.
These events paint a troubling picture of a regime under increasing pressure politically, economically, and socially. As analysts note, Putin’s tightening grip on dissent and his government’s growing paranoia may indicate a deeper crisis of confidence inside the Kremlin itself.
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