Two Russian journalists describe in a new biography how they were violently forced from their homes by masked FSB officers in a coordinated early-morning raid, part of what they argue is a broader campaign of intimidation and repression under the current president. The incident, which unfolded in Moscow, reflects the climate of fear the authors claim has been systematically cultivated to silence dissent and consolidate power. Drawing on extensive research, the book portrays the president as a figure capable of "limitless cruelty," backed by state machinery to crush opposition. For those interested in Russia’s political climate, the account offers a firsthand look at the tactics used to suppress independent voices.
Roman Badanin and Mikhail Rubin, who were forced to move abroad in 2021, tell of president capable of ‘limitless cruelty’At 6am on 29 June 2021, the Russian journalist Roman Badanin was woken by a knock on the door of his family’s Moscow apartment. “Come quickly, someone has scratched your car in the courtyard,” a voice shouted from outside. As he opened the door, masked men pushed their way in.Across the city, a similar raid was happening at the home of Badanin’s colleague Mikhail Rubin. The masked men were officers of the FSB, the Russian intelligence service, instruments of the “climate of fear and violence” that the journalists say Vladimir Putin has imposed on Russia in their forensically detailed biography of the Russian president. Continue reading...
